Heroes, undeniably, are everywhere. The cashier at the local grocery store, the elderly man in the retirement home, and the homeless woman standing on the side of the road are all people that are already or have the potential to be heroes. While the title of hero has no correlation with one’s appearance, the internal qualities of someone are the main reasoning of whether or not they are worthy of the term heroic. A select few characteristics added together create these heroes. Practicing these virtues do not ensure that one is immediately a hero, but all of these combined in one person is a recipe for success for the person involved and all of the people that they affect in their lives daily. A hero has strength, values, and perseverance through …show more content…
all of the obstacles they face. A a genuinely strong hero makes choices despite their fears for the better of other people. One brave girl, Malala Yousafzai is widely known for her immense bravery.
When her Pakistani village was overtaken by the Taliban terrorist group, she relentlessly fought for the rights and education of the women and girls that were being oppressed. Day after day, Malala put herself in harm’s way of the dangerous Taliban while protesting their injustice. In her autobiography, I Am Malala, she wrote, “We were scared, but our fear was not as strong as our courage.”. This quote fully embodies what it means for a hero to be brave. It’s not the lack of fear that makes them special, it’s the fact that they do have fear, but choose to not listen to it. It would have been so easy for Malala and her family to subject themselves to the terrorists’ rules and laws, but she would not stand for that. Instead, she spoke her mind and courageously defied what they told her to do. Bravery is also plainly shown in the retired Marine, Kyle Carpenter’s actions. He was the youngest recipient of the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest recognition of bravery one can achieve. That alone should be evidence of his courage, but the reason of this great honor was because of his acts of …show more content…
heroism in Afghanistan. Kyle immediately sprang into action when an active grenade was about to explode in front of him and his fellow Marines. He knew the damage that a weapon like that could cause, but he risked his life anyway without thinking about how this could impact him personally. Using his body to cover the bomb, Carpenter suffered from nearly fatal injuries to his head, face, and many broken bones. Throughout the whole recovery, he remained extremely humble. Kyle told the Marine Corps Times, “I'm still here and kicking and, you know, I have all my limbs so you'll never hear me complain." showing how oblivious he was to the extent of his heroics. Kyle Carpenter didn’t even have to think, he instinctively knew what to do when this dangerous situation became apparent to him. It took great courage to make that split second decision to save his comrades’ lives. Bravery is an understatement for the actions he took to rise above the fears of many. These two heroes very evidently chose not to let fear stop them from reaching their goals or protecting the people they care about. A truly courageous hero does not allow fear to cripple their acts of bravery. Selflessness is seeing others’ needs to be more important than yours and acting upon that.
One of the most obvious examples of a hero is someone in the military. On a daily basis, those men and women put themselves in danger for the good of their country. They are the epitome of selfless because these soldiers haven’t met even close to half of the people they’re fighting for and yet they’re willing to die for them. People like these deserve the utmost respect for their willingness to be sacrifices for the lives of other people. Additionally, Dick Hoyt is another true example of selflessness. His son Rick Hoyt who was diagnosed as a spastic quadriplegic with cerebral palsy when he was a baby, loved the feeling of running because it made him feel as if he was not disabled. His father, willing to do anything for his son, pushed and pulled him through every race in order to make him feel that way again and again. While this team may not seem like an immediate example of selflessness, Dick Hoyt definitely values his son’s life more than his own. He goes through an entire physically exhausting race just for those minutes of happiness for Rick. Those few minutes of normalcy must mean the world for Rick, and Dick being the loving father that he is, is happy to be his arms and legs. Heroes that are selfless never think about their own problems before they think of others. Thoughts of selfishness doesn’t even cross their
minds. To be a hero that perseveres, one must continue through all of the hardships life throws at them. Someone who is a prime example of this is Joshua Pitcher. Josh is a war veteran that survived a catastrophic explosion in Afghanistan that left him with only one leg. While most soldiers would just continue on with normal life and choose to stay where it’s safe, Joshua decided to go back to Afghanistan after his full recovery. It took months for Joshua to return to his prior state, but would forever be without his left leg. Many people don’t have the determination to be deployed in first place, but Josh Pitcher had the courage to do so, and then had the perseverance to go back even after his almost fatal injury. Another particularly determined person is former high school student and track star, Kayla Montgomery. Kayla was the picture of active until she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). This forced her to give up the sport she loved, soccer, and take up running, which she could handle with her condition. She eventually became one of the fastest at every meet, but during her races she lost all feeling of her legs. Once she crossed the finish line, she was in a state of confusion, pain, and had to be physically caught by her coach, but still completed every race she could. While Kayla will eventually not be able to run at all, she manages to make the most of the time she has and pushes through her pain. These heroes do not give up easily or at all when obstacles become present. In conclusion, the most important characteristics one can have is bravery, a willingness to put others first, and determination. A hero can be anyone and can show these traits differently, but the combination of these things can lead to a truly amazing human. Heroes can be someone who has dedicated their lives to serving their country or can be as simple as a father who love his son. Appearance doesn’t determine the quality of a hero, but the attributes of these people fully give them their title of a hero.
Although not every hero shouts “Avengers Assemble” before a worthy deed, heroism is shown in all aspects of the everyday world. Webster Dictionary has exactly 5 definitions under the word hero and still no two people explain heroism the same. Superman and Captain America are a glimpse of the fictional characters society titles a hero. Firefighters and Military portray heroism each day in the lives of every civilian. As Sullivan and Venter stated “individuals are referred to as ‘heroes’ for seemingly different reasons” and even through endless studies the adjectives referring heroes is ever changing. Among the various ideas of what it means to be a hero, boldness and valiance capture the essence of heroism.
Recently, students of Olympian High School have stumbled upon the question, "What is a hero?" In the school's 2013 Young Minds Essay Contest, students are expected to consider universal concerns and ideas. Many times when people think of a hero, they think of Superman, Batman, and many other Marvel characters who display unattainable superpowers. However, heroes are prevalent throughout the world. A hero can be anyone who has the desire to help others, brave in dangerous situations, and does not look at exterior gain from helping others.
Who is a hero? In contemporary times, usage of the term has become somewhat of a cliché. Over the years, the term “hero” has become representative of a wide variety of individuals, each possessing differing traits. Some of the answers put forth by my colleagues (during our in-class discussion on heroism) as to whom they consider heroes pointed to celebrities, athletes, teachers and family members. Although the occupations differed, each of their heroes bore qualities that my classmates perceived as extraordinary, whether morally or physically. Nonetheless, Webster’s defines “hero” as “a person who is admired for great or brave acts or fine qualities.” Thus, it is worth considering that individuals become heroes relative to the situation with which they’re faced.
‣ Malala’s Father wanted her to feel different, and in this quote, is saying she is free to do whatever she wants because he will always have her back.
Heroes are found everywhere in the world. They are seen in movies, on television, in books, and in reality. A hero can be anyone, from a friend to a fictional character. To be considered a hero, one must make selfless sacrifices, develop and learn, overcome challenges and temptations, and ultimately present their known world with a gift of any kind. Homer’s
Over the course of history the definition of what makes a hero has made many changes. Beowulf, Superman, and firefighters are all examples of heroes, but they are very different when broken down. Today’s society defines a hero by his values, his strength, and his journey.
The word hero as defined as an “individual who has the courage of conviction to perform feats that benefit the general populace, acts as a soldier of virtue, and has an altruistic spirit that urges him or her to act against evil and defend the greater good at all costs, even sacrificing his own well-being or life.” (Harrison 2). Although heroes can come in any shape and size they are commonly found in stories we read, movies we watch, or people we look up to. We do not think about it much but even our own life is made up of many hero’s journeys. We never realize that our hardships and how we overcome them is exactly what a Hero’s Journey is about and why we relate to and enjoy these stories so much. I will be going into the depths of a Hero’s
Now ask yourself, what is a hero? Works Cited http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/happiness-in-world/201009/what-makes-hero http://www.texasbar.com/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home&Template=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=9585
Heroes come in all shapes and sizes with many different capabilities, values and attributes. We see heroes every day; firefighters, police officers, and even one’s parents. Heroes have been around for a long time displaying similar skills and abilities, but as time has gone on heroes have started to present different values of their society. But what truly makes a hero? What values does the hero portray about society? Heroes such as Odysseus from Ancient Greece and Kyle Carpenter from our time help us better understand the traits of a true hero. Ancient Greek society valued pride, bravery and selfish behavior as shown by Odysseus. However, heroes today show more humility and selflessness as our society has changed from the Ancient Greek society.
For instance, in “The Last of the Mohicans”, Hawkeye’s bravery is shown when he leaves Cora and Alice to get help, and then returns and successfully ambush the Huron’s. Here his sense of morality is shown greatly as he tries to save a farm and the Mohawks village with their women and children and stands up to everyone who decided to turn a blind eye to the situation because it is wrong to ignore the lives of those women and kids. Most importantly, selflessness is the greatest quality of a hero because a true leader always puts others before themselves. Selflessness is the act of doing something for others in the hopes of getting absolutely nothing in return; this is a great requirement for being a hero.
Where are our heroes? Starting in early childhood we are exposed to the virtues of what it means to be a “hero.” Traditionally, a hero is someone who is described as flawless, has strong morals, is well-rounded, well liked, and possesses a great a amount of courage and honor (“Anti-hero”). Individuals who embody the qualities of kindness, resilience, understanding, and nobility set the stage of heroism. Often as children, our parents are our first heroes. We read books which teach us only kindness and watch television shows where no harm comes to the characters. As we grow, we begin to recognize that humans, including ourselves and our parents, as well as, perceived heroes have weakness, vulnerability, and imperfections. Over time, we begin to accept that life is not a fairy tale. With this transition we learn that all is not good and evil nor black and white. We come to the
Malala is a brave woman. Shortly after Malala's first diary entry was posted a man followed her home from school. ”It was if I [Malala] had become immune to fear. Until one day, on my way home from school, I heard a man behind me say, I will kill you”(Yousafzai and McCormick 79). Here the authors demonstrate that no matter how many times Malala was threatened she never gave
There is another type of hero that almost no one is aware of. In the poorest areas of the country, live mostly minorities and other ethic background. All their lives they’ve been expected to work harder and expected not succeed in life. Some individuals living in poverty with a determination to succeed work hard all of their lives to become what everybody doubted they could. Escaping the crime, drugs, and prostitution is enough to escape hell, even if they don’t go to college. Despite of their financial problems, drug and crime surroundings, or difficulties in the language skills, their desire to triumph fuels their persistence. Those who make it to success are the few living examples of the purest form of hero anyone can be. They are not only their own heroes but also the heroes of the poor children who dream of becoming like them someday.
As you can see, Iqbal Masih is conscientious and brave. Research shows teen activists are extremely ambitious, passionate, and conscientious. Malala Yousafzai is ambitious because she fought for children's education, especially girls. Alex Lin is passionate because helped reduce the dumping of E-Waste in the world at a very young age. Iqbal Masih is conscientious because he freed over 3000 child labourers.
Heroism is defined as an act of courage and an act of selflessness. They reflect the highest levels of morality in society. Heroes have embodied the morality codes of civilizations throughout the ages. When heroes display courage, observers often identify with that courage. The refusal to take the easy way out and the ability to act in spite of fear, is what makes a person a hero. This is the way everyone wishes to react in the midst of a crisis. As witnessed in literature and real life, mankind needs heroes to provide an inspirational role model, an escape from the mundane, and a guide for morality.