Why Don't We Have "Heroes" Today?

[Lincsong]

Heroism is now "obsolete". There seems to be an almost pathological delight in bringing "the top dog" down. Society seems to enjoy watching someone or something crash, burn and smolder. Blame it on jealousy, blame it on sadism. But with a general decline in standards those who do what is honorable and good are now mocked and sneered.

Do I think the kid from Facebook will be a "hero" in 30 years? Who knows; he could end up like Steve Wozniak and be on Dancing With the Stars.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I think there's a meaningful difference between a "hero" and an "idol." A kid might think of a ballplayer as an idol -- someone he follows with great interest and wants to emulate -- but that athlete wouldn't actually be a "hero" unless he also did something transcendent off the playing field like Jackie Robinson or Ted Williams.

Idols, of course, have always had feet of clay, and most people outgrow them around the age of 12.

 

[hatophile]

I think there's a meaningful difference between a "hero" and an "idol." A kid might think of a ballplayer as an idol -- someone he follows with great interest and wants to emulate -- but that athlete wouldn't actually be a "hero" unless he also did something transcendent off the playing field like Jackie Robinson or Ted Williams.

Idols, of course, have always had feet of clay, and most people outgrow them around the age of 12.

That's a good point, I see heroes as fairly ordinary folks doing extraordinary tasks, but I agree the firefighters and soldiers should be included here, as well as Coast Gaurd rescuers, and even folks like the pilot mentioned or the man who assisted the governor of Arizona at her attempted assasination, the passengers who fought back against the terrorists on 9/11.
Idols can be folks who gain prestige in their chosen field, maybe flawed, but still admirable (athletes, actors, musicians, etc.).
Finally, there are those in history who were considered heroes of their time, such as George A Custer. He was courageous to the point of irrationality, reportedly a womanizer, and quite egotistical. There was a huge outcry when his unit was wiped out at the Little Bighorn. Oddly, a major player in his downfall, Sitting Bull, became a celebrity later by joining Buffalo Bill's troupe. Sitting Bull was likely considered a hero by his people.

 

[SGT Rocket]

R.E. Lee was considered a hero to many people in his day; even today he is revered by many people. I'm sure there was/is a whole different group of people (Slaves, Yankees) that did not revere him at all.

 

[Spitfire]

There are no heroes today because the media - TV that is - makes people believe we are all heroes.
Just watch stuff like X factor or any other stupid so called talent-show. Every teenager with a voice like a mouse and two left feet believe they are Gods gift to humanity. Who needs heroes then?

 

[Justin B]

Bartenders, please help!

Sorry to put this here but I can't start a new thread. Also no new posts show up, can't view any threads or posts since yesterday and I get a database error. Oh, and to respond please do so by PM as I can't view your replies here.

 

[B.J. Hedberg]

Pompidou hit it on the head. I think we have just as many great heroes today as in the past but lack the events and a small enough population to make them stand out in the same fashion as before.

Today’s heroes won’t be promoted in the media, but discovered through independent learning and observation. It will be by reading one’s local histories and by participating in public events that modern generations will find their heroes; and if they’re not the same as the previous or the next generation, no matter. All that counts is that there are good people out there everyday living the way they should, serving others, and inspiring folks through their actions. I’ve personally found these modern “unknowns” to be more inspirational to me than the history book greats I originally emulated as a schoolboy.

 

[Puzzicato]

There are no heroes today because the media - TV that is - makes people believe we are all heroes.
Just watch stuff like X factor or any other stupid so called talent-show. Every teenager with a voice like a mouse and two left feet believe they are Gods gift to humanity. Who needs heroes then?

I agree - heroism is a debased currency. Australians will remember the 1997 landslide in Thredbo, where 18 people were killed and one man survived. I remember being extremely irritated (and I still am) that Stuart Diver kept being described on the news as a hero for not dying. He went through an extraordinary ordeal, and knowing that his wife had already died was a tragedy but I don't see that he did anything heroic. The emergency services personnel who rescued him and searched for survivors are the heroes.

 

[Deco-Doll-1928]

I'm afraid you are right. I worry about my grandchildren. When I was little, I wanted to grow up to be like John Glenn or Alan Shepherd. Who do my grandchildren want to "be like" when they grow up (besides me, I hope)?

I worry about that very issue myself. Since I am a woman, I've often wondered who are good role models for women today? Who are the women my twin nieces (they are only four now) are going to look up to when they grow up? I don't want them looking up to people like Lindsay Lohan. Where are the Eleanor Roosevelts and the Amelia Earharts of this world?

I always thought that one of the biggest reasons why the people that have become history's biggest stars is because:

1) They have each developed their own sense of style. A lot of these characters were larger than life. People were not afraid to be a little bit different even though it meant not being popular with the masses.

2) It could be the time they lived in. During the 1930s, people really embraced the racing horse Seabiscuit because he represented a sense of hope. He was something that people of that era felt that they could identify themselves with. Even when the horse struggled, he kept on going. That was a motto people felt they could live by too. Also Batman and Superman came out of the 1930s (both the late 1930s). That might not have been a coincidence. Felix the Cat (who came out the 20s originally) was long thought to be a good luck symbol for a lot of people (including Charles Lindbergh). I read that the famous Felix the Cat clock came out in the 30s because it was intended to cheer up people during the Depression.

It might be true that people don't feel the need to embrace heroes anymore. I blame technology for this partly because I think today's society teaches a sense of personal isolation. Not many people know how to interact with each other anymore or know "what's going on" other than their own universe. There's something wrong when a person can't pick up the phone, but can't ignore a text for one minute.

I would like to mention that I find that ordinary people that do the most extraordinary things (like risk their own lives to save others even knowing that they might not survive or their attempts might go in vain) are the most interesting people. It's sad that they don't get much recognition like they should.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I worry about that very issue myself. Since I am a woman, I've often wondered who are good role models for women today? Who are the women my twin nieces (they are only four now) are going to look up to when they grow up? I don't want them looking up to people like Lindsay Lohan. Where are the Eleanor Roosevelts and the Amelia Earharts of this world?

I think a big part of the problem as far as women are concerned is the rise of modern "raunch culture," which tells young women that their social worth is tied directly to how much they put out. When that's the message and those are the images that swamp the contemporary media, it's up to the parents, friends, and families of young women to provide decent alternatives. When occasions present themselves, I talk to the young gals at work about some of the historical women I myself admire most, people like Frances Perkins, Gertrude Berg, and Dorothy Kilgallen, and remind them there are still women today who are able to accomplish worthwhile things without having to take their clothes off to do it.

 

[Puzzicato]

Your nieces are going to look up to you, Deco Doll! I don't have children, but I do take modelling good behaviour etc for my friends' children and my younger nieces pretty seriously. When they were very small they mostly thought I was the bee's knees because whenever they saw me I brought dessert. That gives me a pretty good hold over young minds! I swear like a drunken sailor but NEVER around children, and I generally hope that my conduct shows them an alternative to the Katie Price/ Lindsay Lohan model.

 

[Gregg Axley]

Thankfully we have no small children in the family.
We are a product of our surroundings, but at the same time, we can control (somewhat) our surroundings and who we hang out with.
My wife works with people that have filthy language, and so she picked that up moreso than I'd like.
In the past few months she's curbed that and only uses it in emergencies like being cut off in traffic, stories of the stupid (in my town), etc.
We both enjoy listening to the Radio Classics channel on XM, and enjoy old movies. Our ethics reflect the golden era, but we realize we aren't living in that era. I do things to help others that I will never share on here because I don't care to. I see a need and meet it, because I feel it's my duty. Not as a socialistic view, but more as a "it's the right thing" decision. It's rubbed off on my wife unknowingly.
Heros help those around them IMHO, not lift cars or do extraordinary acts like that, but they do what used to be done years ago, care for those around them no matter what. I have my limits, if you put your hand in the fire repeatedly, I'm going to blow on the fire to make it hotter, since you obviously haven't learned yet! LOL