Post by sageda on Oct 21, 2012 9:32:52 GMT -5
The word “hero” is thrown around carelessly these days. It has been rendered meaningless and given to people who do not deserve the title. Lil’ Wayne may be your hero, but he is far from being a hero. Neither is any athlete who has accomplished nothing but what they are being paid to do. I believe a hero is a person who has an everlasting impact on an individual through a selfless and courageous act.
So, what does it mean, really? Before giving my own definition, let’s look at the dictionary definition. A hero is defined as “a person, typically a man, who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities” (Dictionary.com). Despite the fact that “typically a man” comes of as a little iffy, it is pretty apparent that a hero has to be exemplary. Let’s look at the origin. The word comes from its Greek root hḗrōs, which translates to “demigod” or half-god (Dictionary.com). Characteristics of demigods include immortality, tremendous power, and courage in the face of adversity (Rigpa Wiki). I don’t think demigods really possess courage since they know that they are immortal, therefore are not really risking anything. Humans need to make up for the whole “mortal” thing through courage.
That brings us to the difference between the heroes in the video and Gilgamesh and my definition of heroes. Thanks to my childhood buried in Marvel and DC comics, I know that Spiderman is immortal, so he falls under the category of “not risking anything.” Yes, he may be devoting his life to saving people but he’s not losing anything. He’s gains fame and love, which is more than what he is losing. That’s what distinguishes Gilgamesh from modern day heroes. He was mortal yet he risked his life. But who was it for? Right. Himself. He may be 33% god but he’s 100% selfish. It took him the whole trip to finally acquire an ounce of sympathy and compassion for others. I don’t think that really counts as being a hero.
My definition of a hero is a person who risks his or her own well being without a second thought for another person. No matter how small the act is, it can have an everlasting impact on a person. It’s all about intention. But that hero needs to uphold his morals ‘til the end. No being an Olympic superstar then turning around and crashing parties and smoking pot (I don’t really have anything against marijuana but that was stupid). No taking pictures with third-world children as a photo op. No killing a bunch of civilians abroad and coming home to a banner reading “American Hero.”
That brings me to my conclusion of who I consider a hero. Rowan Atkinson: he safely landed a plane after the pilot fainted saving himself and 40 other passengers (Conlan). Anderson Cooper (a.k.a. the love my life): saves a Haitian child injured from a concrete block blow to the head (Dybward). These people were facing great hardships and still managed to grow a pair and put others before themselves. They are beloved for their professionalism and moral values and these acts only added to the list of reasons why people love them so much. People don’t realize that it takes more than a couple home runs to be a hero. People like Cooper and Atkinson actually changed lives.
• Conlan, Tara. "Mr. Bean, air hero." n.d. Mail Online. 21 October 20120 <http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-33159/Mr-Bean-air-hero.html>.
• Dybward, Barb. "Anderson Cooper Dives in to Rescue Injured Haitian Boy
So, what does it mean, really? Before giving my own definition, let’s look at the dictionary definition. A hero is defined as “a person, typically a man, who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities” (Dictionary.com). Despite the fact that “typically a man” comes of as a little iffy, it is pretty apparent that a hero has to be exemplary. Let’s look at the origin. The word comes from its Greek root hḗrōs, which translates to “demigod” or half-god (Dictionary.com). Characteristics of demigods include immortality, tremendous power, and courage in the face of adversity (Rigpa Wiki). I don’t think demigods really possess courage since they know that they are immortal, therefore are not really risking anything. Humans need to make up for the whole “mortal” thing through courage.
That brings us to the difference between the heroes in the video and Gilgamesh and my definition of heroes. Thanks to my childhood buried in Marvel and DC comics, I know that Spiderman is immortal, so he falls under the category of “not risking anything.” Yes, he may be devoting his life to saving people but he’s not losing anything. He’s gains fame and love, which is more than what he is losing. That’s what distinguishes Gilgamesh from modern day heroes. He was mortal yet he risked his life. But who was it for? Right. Himself. He may be 33% god but he’s 100% selfish. It took him the whole trip to finally acquire an ounce of sympathy and compassion for others. I don’t think that really counts as being a hero.
My definition of a hero is a person who risks his or her own well being without a second thought for another person. No matter how small the act is, it can have an everlasting impact on a person. It’s all about intention. But that hero needs to uphold his morals ‘til the end. No being an Olympic superstar then turning around and crashing parties and smoking pot (I don’t really have anything against marijuana but that was stupid). No taking pictures with third-world children as a photo op. No killing a bunch of civilians abroad and coming home to a banner reading “American Hero.”
That brings me to my conclusion of who I consider a hero. Rowan Atkinson: he safely landed a plane after the pilot fainted saving himself and 40 other passengers (Conlan). Anderson Cooper (a.k.a. the love my life): saves a Haitian child injured from a concrete block blow to the head (Dybward). These people were facing great hardships and still managed to grow a pair and put others before themselves. They are beloved for their professionalism and moral values and these acts only added to the list of reasons why people love them so much. People don’t realize that it takes more than a couple home runs to be a hero. People like Cooper and Atkinson actually changed lives.
• Conlan, Tara. "Mr. Bean, air hero." n.d. Mail Online. 21 October 20120 <http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-33159/Mr-Bean-air-hero.html>.
• Dybward, Barb. "Anderson Cooper Dives in to Rescue Injured Haitian Boy