What Makes a Hero?

Suffering breeds heroes,
Their strength is a lesson to all; and,
All benefit from that experience.
A hero learns to empathize and,
Show compassion for others going through difficult times.
Nothing will stand in their way,
They show perseverance in the face of adversity.
A hero achieves the impossible.
Rises up and does what is right in the worst of all their circumstances.
You can trust what you tell them,
It will not go further.
A hero is not boastful,
But is often modest about their accomplishments.
My hero is strong, dependable, humble, and a good listener;
Pointing out the positives, never the negatives
A hero makes me feel like a hero;
A hero will always live within us and others.

Heroes

A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.

- Christopher Reeve

Christopher Reeve is a man who knows what it means to be a hero - he did play Superman after all. So, coming from him, this quote can actually really affect those who observe it. Odysseus fits the criteria for a hero in more than just the criteria laid out by this quote and yet he fits the above quote almost perfectly. In actuality he really is just an ordinary man, he was born from two mortals (albeit royals) and he grew up among mortals. It wasn't until he was older that his confrontations with the Gods occured. So, from an ordinary upbringing he rose to the occasion and met every challenge presented to him head on - he fought for his life, for his family's life, and for his country.

Most modern day heroes also fit this criteria. Not all are uncommonly strong, or dashingly attractive, or wealthy - some merely had the strength of will to persevere in the face of overwhelming obstacles. Ghandi, Nelson Mandela, Romeo Dallaire, and Martin Luther King to name a few of the more well known ones. However, many more people in our world can be considered heroes just by simply living through overwhelming obstacles. People who have survived a debilitating, often lethal, disease like cancer or people who have struggled with abuse or poverty - these people are heroes in their own right.

Suffering to achieve.

"So I said, and it broke my shipmates' hearts.
They sank down on the ground, moaning, tore their hair.
But it gained us nothing-what good can come of grief?"
~ Odysseus
Book 10, page 248, line 623-625

Odysseus knows that he and his men must suffer more. Knowing that he has not achieved his nostos yet, he must continue on. Suffering along with his men is not an option in order to succeed in achieving his goal. This is a requirement of a hero according to Homer and so Odysseus must toil and slave longer in order to acquire greatness. Being plagued by the gods through bad weather and the circumstances that surely test his capabilities and skill, Odysseus knows that he will get what he wants. He will return home.

The idea of heroism in the Greek civilization is evident and very prominent in Homer's classic; the Odyssey, the journey of a man who achieves greatness and the title of a hero through his troubles and travels. In order to deserve, one must prove themselves worthy of the title; "hero".
If you suffer, you will be rewarded. This also refernces back to the idea of the golden mean, the balance in Greek society that maintains values. The balance of negative and positive, of good and evil, of suffering and rewards, is required in life. To learn and go through circumstances in life that show this balance is a requirement of life.

Outsmarted

"Not for all the world. Not
until you consent to swear, goddess, a binding oath
you'll never plot some new intrigue to harm me!"
~ Odysseus
Book 10, page 241, line 380-382

This shorter passage from The Odyssey gives us key information about more of Odysseus' character. Metis, and/or cunning, is "shrewdness as demonstrated by being skilled in deception" (Google, Define:). Being able to manipulate Circe into getting what he wants and spare him from being used, we see that Odysseus is a thinker rather than using means of brawn when it comes to his current situation to achieve what he wants. This theme of brains over brawn is a reoccurring one along with the theme of cunning. Outsmarting the witch in order to protect himself is what he does, and one can say that this increases one's chance of survival.

I know you now.

"What pains-the gods have given me my share.
Now let me begin by telling you my name...
so you may know it well and I in times to come,
if I can escape the fatal day, will be your host,
your sworn friend, though my home is far from here.
I am Odysseus, son of Laertes, known to the world
for every kind of craft-my fame has reached the skies."
~Odysseus
Book 9, page 212, line 16-22

In this passage we have Odysseus, our hero, identifying himself to the Phaeacians and beginning to tell his story to them. He tells us that he has suffered, as all true heroes do, and that he will prevail until he arrives on his native land again. Knowing of his fame, he tells us that he is the one people speak of; he is a hero. He is cabable and skilled, he has suffered and prospered, he has gotten to where he is now because he has perservered. The theme of "unveiling" and "identification" is evident knowing that the Phaeacian people do not know who he is and do not recognise him. The identification of our hero in this passage declares an under layer of truth and wisdom from Odysseus.

Not Yet...

"What hard labor, queen," the man of craft replied, "to tell you the story
of my troubles start to finish."

~ Odysseus

Book 7, page 187, line 277-278

Subconcious Transitions

"He set out for the woods and not far from the water
found a grove with a
clearing all around and crawled
beneath two bushy olives sprung from the
same root,
one olive wild, the other well-bred stock."
~ Narrator
Book 5, page 167, line 525-528

This depiction of Odysseus that Homer gives to us shows us the current state that our hero is in. Naked with nothing to aid him, shelter him, or provide for him, we see that Odysseus has been reduced to the circumstances of a human. Purely with nothing else, he sleeps underneath these two olive bushes; one wild, one tame. This natural imagery tells us of the boundaries between the civilized world and the uncivilized world; the difference between wild, and tame. Odysseus, having nothing, is dirty, naked, hungry and wild. The action of sleeping represents a transition for Odysseus from the wild to the civilized world. The separation from reality and fantasy is represented by sleep; it is a transition.

Philoctetes as seen in Disney

"I trained all those would-be heroes. Odysseus, Perseus, Theseus. A lot of "yeuseus." And every one of those bums let me down flatter than a discus. None of them could go the distance."
~~Phil (Philoctetes)~~Disney- Hercules 1997

A true hero

"Ah, great goddess,"  

worldly Odysseus answered, "don't be angry with me.

All that you say is true, how well I know,

Look at my wise Penelope. She falls far short of you,

your beauty, stature. She is mortal after all

and you, you never age or die...

Nevertheless I long-I pine all my days-

to travel home and see the dawn of my return.

And if a god will wreck me

.........................

This quote shows what it really means to be a hero. You must sacrifice pleasure and resist temptation to achieve 
a higher ideal, even if it means immense suffering and sorrow on the part of the hero. This is what Odysseus does, 
more than any other man, her suffers, spending decades away from his wife and child, fighting constantly to see 
them again and being faced with barrier after countless barrier. Yet he still faces them with a steady courage, 
taking every opportunity he can to make it home, even when it means leaving a paradise with a gorgeous goddess 
willing to make him immortal with his only hopes resting in  small boat that he had to build himself, and knowing 
full well that as soon as he was at sea, the gods would harass him further.

“Old myths, old gods, old heroes have never died. They are only sleeping at the bottom of our mind, waiting for our call..."

Obviously in life, we look up to certain people for inspiration to accomplish certain things. The basic idea of this quote is that we always remind ourselves of the great ones that have lived before us, and the things they have done which inspire us to achieve. Without the heroes to look up to and without the great things they have done we wouldn’t be the advanced race we are today. There is a cycle of inspiration because there is always someone before us who we look up to and want to be like. The deeper meaning of this quote is that everyone is a hero. I think “they are only sleeping…” represents the fact that we all have a hero inside of us that is waiting to be unleashed. This is because our individual self and consciousness are part of the collective consciousness of mankind. This quote is saying that if no one was a hero before us, we wouldn’t be able to release the hero inside of ourselves. In conclusion, I think this quote is saying that in life, the reason we can all become heroes is because of the fact that we can look up to all the great people before us for inspiration and motivation.

To infinity and beyond . . .

"Heros take journeys, confront dragons, and discover the treasure of their true selves."
- Carol Lynn Pearson

You're never to old to have a hero

" as you get older, it is harder to have heros , but its sort of necesasary."- Ernest Hemingway

Everyone always assumes that once you get more and more mature , you start to out grow heros and myths which i beleive that is false. I beleive if you have a hero at any age it will help you accomplish your goals and become a better person in society.Thats why i beleive its great to have a hero at any age and your never to old for one.

Motivation

"If everybody was satisfied with himself there would be no heroes."
- Mark Twain

People considered heroes often have a certain skill that sets them apart from everyone else.
People who have such skills are people who spend their waking hours pushing themselves further, constantly practicing and perfecting this skill. They are the people who don't settle for being average, they are the people who are motivated to be the best.
These are the people who do not have a fixed mindset (ha ha) about themselves; they are never happy with themselves.
They do not believe the fight is over once they can benchpress 110 lbs, they must go beyond.
These are the people who put in the hours to really deserve to be called a hero.

Core values of a true hero

"Heroes take journeys, confront dragons, and discover the treasure of their true selves"
- Carol Lynn Pearson

this quote expresses the superficial idea that heroes are the ones that battle the bad guys and go on great journeys. However the last phrase is deeper in meaning. It explains that the hero isn’t going to battle the bad guy for himself, because after he is done his quest the hero finds something about himself. This goes down the core ideas and values of true heroes and reviles it in a way that only a true hero could express. the word treasure emphasizes the value of these characteristics that the heroes find within themselves. This is what makes a hero a hero, being able to do good with no incentive for anything in return but in return they learn something about themselves or get praise from others.

I'm holding out for a hero!

"The average is the borderline that keeps mere men in their place. Those who step over the line are heroes by the very act. Go." ~Henry Rollins

This quote defines what it means to be ahero in the true sense of the word. The modern day interpretation of the hero is very skewed; we believe that they all must be self-sacrificing, "good" people who exist only to serve others. The ancient hero need not be good, as this quote points out. It does not matter which way you step over the "average line." You could become an evil, self-serving killer and still be considered a hero in the classical sense. As long as you follow the path of a hero, it does not matter what else you do.

Heroes: Not Satisfied with "Average"

"If everybody was satisfied with himself, there would be no heroes."
~Mark Twain

Being satisfied means that you are content with an average outcome. Heroes are said to go beyond settling and strive for more. It is that fact alone that shows you are overcoming your fears, and out of your comfort zone to strive for greatness. Mark Twain said, "If everybody was satisfied with himself there would be no heroes"; this is true because if everyone just did what was asked, and didn't go the extra mile, we wouldn't have doctors, or politicians, etc. These people go the extra mile, and do something good for mankind. It is because of these people that we have great things, and great books, etc... all because they didn't settle for average.

What makes or breaks a Hero?

"We can't all be heroes, because somebody has to sit on the curb and applaud when they go by" ~Will Rogers

Focusing on the act of not being a hero, Will Rogers states that only some people will every truly be heroes for our world to rejoice and praise. This is true because balance is needed in everyday life and over the course of our lives. Rogers declares this when he says "somebody has to sit on the curb and applaud", meaning that there are different roles that people will play in society and that everyone has a duty to do and fill in their civilization. Maintaining balance this way coincides with the Greek belief that fullfilment of the balance of life is essential to live.

Heroism

"If everybody was satisfied with himself there would be no heroes." - Mark Twain



This quote truely exemplifies what it means to be a hero. It outlines the two main parts of heroism: not settling for the norm, and overcoming obstacles to make yourself better. A hero is someone who cannot stand to be just as good as everyone else or someone who is a little bit better, a hero is someone who strives to be the best, not only for personal gain but for the betterment of others and/or society. Aside from this drive for excellence, a hero must be able to overcome barriers be they physical, emotional, political, etc., without this ability a person would not have the tenacity to make a difference in their lives or in the world.

To be a hero an individual cannot be happy with doing things because they have to or because others ask/ tell them to, they have to do it out of need, passion or desire.On the other hand, if every person possesed these qualities then there would be no way to seperate those who do great things and those who acheive greatness, this distinction can only be made through differences in character.

What We've Forgotten

"We can't all be heroes, because someone has to sit on the curb and applaud them when they go by."
-Will Rogers

There is a reason that the tales of heroes and their feats live on through literature and legend. Society is impressed and inspired by these individuals who take great risks and accomplish grand endeavours; We are astounded by their extraordinary qualities and admire their selflessness and dedication.

Of course, not every one is meant to be a hero. That does not make us lesser people, but simply different people. There are those who are not cut out for a life of sacrifice and danger, those who aren't "doers", but "thinkers", those who prefer to follow by example instead of forging their own paths. These people are integral to the concept of heroism. They lend encouragement and support to those who could potentially manifest the ideal of a hero. They inspire the heroes, and in turn inspire us. They are the metaphorical "backbone" of heroism.

I feel as though this has been completely forgotten today. In modern society, there is pressure for everyone to take up leadership opportunities, to exercise authority to better themselves. But in a society of leaders, who follows? A leader is nothing without people behind him.

Heroes

"The average is the borderline that keeps mere men in their place. Those who step over the line ar heroes by the very act. Go"

- Henry Rollins

A hero, traditionally, is someone who is courageous, someone who performs an act that is difficult and taxing and succeeds - someone who faces the world with no qualms about who they are. You are stepping over that borderline of safety and into dangerous territory, you are opening yourself up by putting yourself out there.The reason I chose this quote is because I truly believe that the quote is right about the true definition of a hero. By putting yourself out there, by moving past that boundary line, you are a hero in your own right. You are pushing the boundaries, stepping past the limits, putting yourself out there - all of this takes courage and is taxing and difficult. A hero would stand up and seperate themselves from the masses, distinguish themselves as something special and by doing so they would be moving past that boundary or borderline that keeps ordinary men in their place. By putting yourself out there you are vulnerable, you are above most men in that you are presenting yourself to the world and saying "Come and get me." That borderline no longer exists once you step past it and you can live on the edge of oblivion, fight your demons, and stand proud.