Heroism: The Selfless Sacrifice for Others

Definition of a Hero

Welles Crowther, an average, everyday citizen, became a hero on September 11, 2001 when he saved at least a dozen different people from the burning towers when terrorists attacked. Some people believe that a hero is a perfect person who has to be strong, smart and brave. Other people think you can be a hero by doing a little thing like helping an old lady cross the street or getting a cat down from a tree. But neither of these actually define a hero. A hero will sacrifice themself for the well-being of others. They are determined and will always try. A hero doesn’t think about their own personal gain, but rather they think of just helping others.

A hero will sacrifice their own life for the life of others. Welles Crowther is an example of this because growing up he wanted to be a firefighter and trained to be one. He got an oppurtunity to be like a firefighter because, “When terrorists attacked the twin towers, he put that training to work and lost his life while helping others”(www.wcvb.com). So while he was saving people's lives he lost his own and became a hero. But he wasn’t the only person to risk their life that day, because Moira Smith, the first officer to report to the twin towers, also gave her life, “Officer

Smith is credited with saving hundreds of lives that day, giving her own in the process”(aplus.com). Because they had sacrificed their lives to save others, they are remembered as heroes. So if you go out and sacrifice your own life for others that are in danger, than you can be remembered as a hero.
Secondly, a hero is always determined, such as a soldier fighting for their country or doctor trying to keep one of his patients alive.

A hero will always be determined, no matter what is happening at the time. “Even when it doesn’t look like there is a light at the end of the tunnel, he’s going to keep digging, he’s going to keep trying to do right and make up for what’s gone before”(brainyquote.com). A hero will never give up, no matter what the outcome looks like. A hero will always persevere, no matter what the circumstance is. “Heroes don’t give up when things look bleak”(owassocharacter.org). So no matter what is or has happened, they will always stay determined. With determination, a simple man could become a

hero.
A hero will not look for glory when doing something heroic. They do not always know if they are doing right or not but still try to help. “A true hero is not someone who thinks about doing what is right, but one that simply does what is right without thinking”(values.com). SO they will do right when helping, but not think about it being the right thing to do but rather just thinking of helping. Also, a hero does not try to give themself personal gain. “A hero is not someone who does something courageous when he has nothing to lose and something to gain, but rather, he is the one who acts well when he has nothing to gain and everything to lose.’ So they will not try to increase their fame, glory, or wealth, but rather risk it all to help others. So when a hero is helping others, they are not thinking of their own gain.
So a hero will sacrifice themself for the well-being of others. They do not think of whether it will help them but rather think of just helping others. And no matter what happens, a hero will always stayed determined.