In our society, everyone desires a heroic reputation. Whether it brought an inward joy, or a reputable outward facade, exemplifying a hero developed into something everyone longed to do. This ambition remains today. However, obtaining a hero-like persona constitutes much more than saving a cat from a tree or helping an elderly woman cross the street. A hero not only affects the direct person in need of help, but the many around as well. In order to have the classification of a hero, one must adopt a courageous, determined, selfless, and inspiring attitude while also attaining an opportunity to show heroism. A hero must manifest the trait of courage, even when put in a tough situation in order to help another out. Courage allows people to …show more content…
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. acted as the symbol for the many protests in the fight to end segregation. This job required King Jr. to stand up in front of many—and against many— in order to rally and fight for his beliefs. King Jr. emerged as a hero to all African-American citizens who struggled through trials of racial discrimination for hundreds of years. Doing this required a huge amount of determination because for the most part, the government wouldn 't budge, causing King Jr. to have to keep fighting until he finally reached his goal. He occupied an abundance of determination and courage; so much, that it cost him his life. With these traits, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. allowed himself to inspire the population and put himself at high risk while doing so. Determination drives a person to achieve greatness with regards for others, therefore qualifying the person who uses this trait, and the others, as a hero.
Selflessness allows a hero to see past themselves to achieve the goal of attending to people’s needs. To fully apply oneself, one must put others first. In 1986 the Chernobyl nuclear power plant received complications that resulted in a spillage of radioactive material into an emergency pool, which put it in danger for blowing up. Three volunteers, Alexi Ananenko, Valeri Bezpoalov, and Boris Baronov, decided to suit up and swim to stop the pool from exploding. If they did not, many civilians would die. However, going into
Martin Luther King was a honourable leader during his time he was famous for his speech “ I had a dream’ In this speech he calls for an end to racism in the United States and preaches his vision of a society in which race was not an issue in how people were treated or in how they were allowed to live their lives. Because of this speech the Negros respected him. He said this speech in front of millions who came to listen and for that he is a very brave man.
Joseph Campbell mentions another characteristic of a hero, which is a hero undergoes trials and tests to see if he or she has the courage, the knowledge and capacity to survive. (The Power of Myth, 1998) Dr. Martin Luther King knew that his life was at a high risk of being killed. He knew that many people viewed his opinions as wrong and bias. In return, the officers in this time, would take water hose, point them toward African Americans and it pushed them into the wall so hard. People died from this type of action that occurred. Dr. King still strived to make this country as equal as possible. Dr. King had a strong desire to help young black women, men and children be able to associate themselves with young white, women, men and children. Dr. King led marches, made speeches, attend churches which eventually led to his death. He was assassinated on a balcony on the second floor of a motel. The bullet when through his fast and his shoulder. He knew what the outcome might be and still set out to fight for equal rights and freedom.
There are many heroes, but there are those who sit back and question what or who makes a hero in today’s society. It has never been a set standard for heroes. In this modern world, there are many types of heroes. In today’s media, there is a contrast between million dollar sports figures, glorified celebrities, and the normal people we call heroes. Some heroes receive no recognition and others receive hero status with ease. However, it has yet to be determined whether our meaning of heroes has changed due to this influence. We have known about the
Martin Luther King Jr. advocated for civil rights for African Americans across the United States Of America. King sacrificed his freedom on several occasions to help oppressed people of color get the fair treatment they deserve which makes perfect for Philip Zimbardo's three qualities that a hero possess. Zimbardo does extensive research which leads him to the conclusion that “the key to heroism is a concern for other people in need- a concern to defend a moral cause, knowing there is a personal risk, done without expectation of reward”(paragraph 5). Martin Luther King Jr. will forever be immortalized as a man who wanted equality and nothing but the best for citizens in America.
Lastly, courage is a major characteristic in heroes. To face your fears to save another person is a very significant thing that any human can do. Imagine that someone you care for was stuck somewhere and there are massive spiders in the way. Courage drives us to save your significant other. Also, courage is also doing something and not knowing the effects of it to benefit you and your loved ones. For example, I’m going to talk about my dad again. When he makes a business
The news often circulates with stories of brilliant firefighters and outstanding soldiers. The media label these people as ‘heroes’. However, the definition of a hero can be very elusive. Many kids believe that heroes have to be athletic and robust, but as they grow up, they realize a hero 's actions and thoughts can be more influential than their physical abilities. It can be difficult to determine what elements make up a hero. However, by examining heroes in different stories, the elements of what makes a hero can become clearer. Classic heroes in The Odyssey can be examined, along with the heroes in Fahrenheit 451 and The Sniper. By taking apart the characteristics and traits of these heroes, a deeper understanding of a hero can be found. Rather than by a character 's physical abilities, a hero can be defined by their displays of courage, determination, humanity, profound changes in personality and behaviour, and a fatal flaw.
Heroes in society have inspired others with their acts of selflessness and bravery. They demonstrate courage everyday. Courage is standing up for what is right, doing things and knowing the risk, and that courage is different from bravery.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a vital figure of the modern era. His lectures and dialogues stirred the concern and sparked the conscience of a generation. The movements and marches he led brought significant changes in the fabric of American life through his courage and selfless devotion. This devotion gave direction to thirteen years of civil rights activities. His
Martin Luther King Jr was a very influential man to the world. He fought for a dream that he believed in and did something no one else could achieve. King went through many problems while he was “On his mission to equality” “He was arrested over twenty times for protesting. He was the object of several violent attacks, both to his person and his property. He received threatening phone calls, his home was bombed and set on fire, and was even stabbed.” Even with all of his downfalls he was still able to make a change in american history.
“True Heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost.” Arthur Ashe, famous tennis player and activist. In this paper, the traits and characteristics of what makes a hero will be expounded on. Heroes have qualities that label them as the “good guys”, but they also have flaws.
An example of a courage hero would be a sheriff helping a man that got stuck during the events of hurricane Harvey. A reporter had seen the man stuck in his truck that was overflowing with water. She had also seen the sheriff and waved him down. From there the sheriff pulled up to the window of the truck and broke it. He then crawled in and pulled the man's belonging and the man onto his boat. If it wasn't for the sheriff pulling the man onto the boat. If it wasn't for the sheriff then the man would have more than likely died. The sheriff is a hero and showed his courageousness by climbing into the vehicle to save the man.
During his lifetime, Martin Luther king dared to not only dream about a better future but also fight for it. He was not afraid from having confrontations in order to promise a change. We can see his decisiveness when his arguments for stopping discrimination against black were not enough to change the situation. He decided to make a direct action in order to make society confront the issue.
As St. Francis of Assisi once said “Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly, you're doing the impossible.” Oftentimes as little kids we get the notion that a hero is a “good guy” who fights villains with inhuman powers and defeats them with strength and nobility. Although that could also be considered a heroic deed, but what truly makes a hero is not all brawn and strength, but rather the content within themselves and the decisions leading up to the action they take. Empathy, a moral compass and finally, bravery. To really get into what that means, let us move into these three main points.
Heroes in society have inspired others through their selfless commitment. These people use courage to get through obstacles. Courage is self confidence, facing fears, and doing the right thing by choice
A hero is someone who makes the choice to do what others lack the strength to do, who has courage like no others, who puts others needs before theirs, and someone who does this without the thought of external gain. A true hero is someone who shows “a concern for other people in need… knowing there is a personal risk” (Zimbardo). The core qualities at the center of any hero are persistence, courage, and selflessness. Courage is defined as the mindset that enables a person to face danger without fear, while selflessness is prescribed as the ability to put other’s needs before yours. The most important quality of a hero is persistence and is described