What makes a hero? Superman, Iron Man, The Flash, Captain America, Wonder Woman, Spiderman, all these figures have been lauded as the ideal of a true hero for much of the century, but have we ever stopped to think about what is outdated, depicts or defines a hero. There are some qualities of a hero that transgress time: a hero has greater skills or talents than an ordinary person, overcomes the odds, and has qualities that raise the hopes of the common man. However, a hero also reflects social norms, culture and technology. A hero from the Greek era did not, for example, have the same superpowers as Superman due to the lack of technology. Superman had to fly because twentieth-century man had airplanes. Other heroes are willing to sacrifice themselves because of the Western and Judeo-Christian concept of martyrdom. The nature of a hero's abilities and functions, therefore, changes in nature and extent but does not change in underlying concepts. The concept of a hero reflects the norms of any society and the sociological structure of a culture. The idea of what a hero is changes from person to person, from culture to society, and even from year to year. So what makes a hero is the main topic of my essay. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Heroes are symbols rather than real people. As the Greeks did with Achilles, Jason, Perseus or Odysseus, we carry them around to show the world "Hey, this is what we admire!" We often do this with little awareness of the issue, we choose them based on the collective ideals of our society and our education. We recognize people for being good at whatever they do and for this we elevate them to a higher status than ours. But once someone is elevated to that higher status, they become something of a focal point for a lot of society, making them the subject of constant gossip and, in doing so, making them something of a mythical figure. Heroes have qualities that go beyond what you can imagine. the normal man can do it. In ancient Greece this was necessary because their heroes were "demigods" and earned glory and honor or "kleos" in battle or by performing challenging feats and undertaking quests. Achilles was “god-like” in his ability to fight. He was the best warrior of the Achaeans, half god and half mortal, but invincible (aside from his Achilles' heel). Achilles is the epitome of the traditional Greek mythical hero. Greek heroes still influence our heroes today, as Achilles does to Superman. But our heroes adapted to our culture over time as we changed and the world around us changed. As technology changed the world, so did our ideas of heroism. If a man can fly across the sky on a piece of metal, then a hero should be able to fly across the globe to save people. If a man can kill someone with a gun that reaches an average speed of 2,500 feet per second, then heroes should be able to go even faster. Technology has changed, and is still changing, what it means to be human, and therefore what it means to be a hero. Every hero has something they must overcome before becoming truly heroic, for the classical Greek hero this was always his greatest weakness, which often varied from hero to hero. Sometimes it was pride, or perhaps even one's own mortality as a half-human. Part of overcoming the odds is overcoming these weaknesses, for Achilles this is his own mortality, for Superman it is Kryptonite, the only thing that can actually make him human. Both of these heroes try to eradicate theseweaknesses to no avail. Achilles' mother immerses him in the Styx in an attempt to make him invincible, and Superman tries to locate and destroy all the kryptonite in the world so that it cannot be used against him, both failing, teaching us that no one can do without humanity and one sort of weakness, even the greatest of heroes. Achilles dies from a poisoned arrow to the heel and Superman dies from kryptonite wielded by Lex Luthor. Today's heroes still have something to overcome, hence the popular culture of underdogs. We want to see those who we would never expect to be heroes overcome the odds and win, we don't care much what the underdog is overcoming in our culture we have this innate need to cheer for those who are less privileged. A hero is seen as someone willing to sacrificing something, perhaps even one's own life, to save another. They are selfless and put the greater good above their own life, this is where our culture of a semi Judeo-Christian society and the modern concept of heroism and compassion as a heroic trait come into play if they had not played such an important role in traditional Greek myth. Heroes have a sense of compassion, this is one of the qualities most people think of when asked about heroes. They put others first, which is why we praise our public servants, and our soldiers, because they put us first and therefore put themselves in the “line of fire”. Putting someone else's needs before your own with conscious effort. This trait is sometimes shown in classical heroism but is not very popular, appearing in some stories, such as that of Perseus and his rescue of the beautiful Andromeda, or in Dionysus finding Areadne alone heartbroken and crying and forcing her to his immortal wife in Olympus. These ideas and traits of compassion lead a person to become something more in the eyes of people today by stepping up, putting the needs of others before their own, and this makes us admire them. They are selflessly doing something for a greater “good” possibility at great cost to them or their own life. Courage is something no hero could ever live without. The courage to do something that perhaps no one else has ever done. The courage to fight the system. The courage to do something bigger. Courage was and is important to every hero, as it is what forces him to face what he fears. A hero cannot be a hero without the courage to do something that scares him, he must show courage. All acts of heroism require one form or another of courage. Courage exemplified by a soldier was the common idea of Greek courage and bravery. The same values espoused by Homer that were central to the Greek way of life. Not everything every hero does that is brave is heroic, but we elevate them in status because they exemplify everything we wish we could do. As Achilles and Odysseus did for the Greeks, so our heroes do for us today. Every hero, Greek or modern, has wisdom, whether he is born with it or comes from a flood of past mistakes and failures. They know what it means to do the right thing. They learn from the wisdom of those around them just as each of us does. Learning from the successes and failures of others as well as your own is often necessary to stay strong whenever the world decides to give you a hard time. Wisdom gives people the ability to make sensible decisions based on their own understanding. Wisdom is what allowed heroes to know and understand the differences between right and wrong, one of the many reasons we turn to them when the world is failing is because they know and understand these differences. They guide us rightdirection when everything seems darkest. Every society has problems: war, famine, disease or drought. Heroes constantly remind us that there are good people in the world, that despite all the suffering around us we will always have someone we can count on to do the right thing. Heroes arrive when we are needed, they save us when we are in difficulty, they give hope when all seems lost. They give us hope for a better tomorrow. Picking up the mantle of those who have fallen, charging forward to make the world a better place. They fight now so they don't have to fight again, and more battles can be won in the future to continue to improve the world. They continue to move forward to keep the lives of those closest to them safe and to save and protect those who need it most. Like the image of Achilles' shield, heroes fight and continue to be a safeguard of hope, of the vision of a brighter tomorrow. Heroes give us hope for our lives when things seem darkest. Achilles goes into battle as the Trojans were decimating the Greek forces. It restores hope to the Greek warriors, gives them a reason to fight and win the war. Now our modern heroes also inspire us and give us hope to get back up and try again, even when we are at our worst. Heroes have certain qualities that transcend time. Modern and classical examples of heroism share mythology as a supporting influence. Heroes must be able to go beyond the ordinary and accomplish things that the average person only dreams of. Heroes emerge from situations of misfortune or disaster to do exceptional things. They are human, but achieve greater-than-human ideas and feats, showing us things we try to emulate, but qualities we often lack. Heroes must overcome the odds and overcome whatever holds them back. Whether it's trying to overcome their greatest weaknesses or pushing back against external forces that try to tell them they can't do it. There are so many things that can make people heroes, for any one of a million reasons. What Makes a Hero: Essay on Jesus Christ Is someone who is strong and fights bad guys a hero? Or is it someone who participates in ordinary acts of kindness? Everyone has a different perspective on what makes someone a hero. Some of the commonly accepted core values that a hero exhibits are courage, courage, selflessness, sacrifice, and humility. One person who demonstrates all of these values is Jesus Christ. No one can deny that during his life Jesus overcame many obstacles and manifested the values mentioned above. Jesus was courageous and courageous when he stood up for what he believed in, he was selfless and showed sacrifice by giving his life for ours, and finally, he showed humility every day when he preached the Good News. So, on the example of the figure of Jesus Christ, in this essay we will focus on what makes a hero. A myriad of films have been made about heroes who are brave in fighting evil characters; However, you don't have to win battles to demonstrate courage. Jesus repeatedly showed his courage by preaching the Good News even though his preaching was against Roman rule. He broke the law by healing a blind man on the Sabbath. The blind were said to be cursed because they had sinned; people who associated with them were considered outcasts. Jesus did not let this social belief influence his teaching and one day, while walking with his disciples, he decided to heal a man born blind. He said: «Neither he nor his parents sinned... but this happened so that the works of God might be manifested in him... Having said this, he spat on the ground, made mud with the saliva and put it on his eyesof man. “Go,” he told him, “wash yourself in the pool of Siloam.” That man went, washed himself and returned home seeing.” (John 9:3-7)By healing this man Jesus showed courage. Jesus did not cower when he performed miracles for which he knew he would be punished. He did not let the laws stop him from doing God's work. It was the miracles he performed that later led to his death, yet he never backed down to save himself. Jesus was a brave and courageous Son of God who defended his beliefs and never backed down in the face of fear. John 15:13 states, “Greater love has no man than this, to lay down his life for his friends.” Jesus made the supreme sacrifice by giving his life, opening the door to heaven, so that we could receive eternal life. Through his actions, he demonstrated selflessness, one of the most prized qualities a hero can display. Many heroes are brave and courageous but do not value the quintessential characteristic of being altruistic. A true hero fights for the good of others and is selfless enough to sacrifice himself to save those around him. Jesus was the savior of humanity; he sacrificed himself for the greater good. Jesus never displayed a selfish quality in his entire life. He always served for the common good and was never self-centered. This is what makes Jesus a true hero: He sacrificed his life for ours and served others his entire life. When we describe heroes, we don't describe them as boastful and conceited. We describe them as humble and shy. Jesus was an extremely humble person who always taught that everyone is equal in the eyes of God. He manifested this through acts such as washing the disciple's feet: “After this, he poured water into the basin and began to wash the feet of his disciples, drying them with the towel he had wrapped himself in." (John 13:5) By washing the feet of His disciples, Jesus showed us that we should not be presumptuous and treat others as we would like to be treated. A hero should not brag about his abilities and consider himself better than anyone else. A hero is humble and is one with his people. We don't call arrogant people heroes for doing good deeds that they boast about. The people we call heroes are people who do their good deeds silently. Jesus was one of those people and never boasted of performing miracles. Instead, he made sure everyone around him felt appreciated. This is why Jesus can be called a true hero. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Jesus is someone we can all describe as a true hero. For us he is an inspiration and a model; we can admire him and learn from his actions. Jesus displayed the qualities of courage and courage when he stood up for what he believed in and did not cower when challenged. He preached the Good News and performed miracles even though he knew this would lead to punishment himself. Jesus is undoubtedly the most selfless man known to history. He showed his selflessness by sacrificing his life so that we could experience eternal life. This is a very important quality for a hero, as he must be able to do what is best for people, even if it is not best for themselves. Finally, Jesus showed his humility by not placing himself on a pedestal above everyone else and instead acting as an equal to his people. Jesus is worthy of the title of hero for the qualities he displays in his actions. Jesus was a true hero in every aspect of life. Works Cited Bartel, C. A., Baumann, H. M., & Heintzelman, S. J. (2013). Motivating heroes: Effects of exemplification in inspiring model stories. Journal of Applied Psychology, 98(6), 957-966.Blyth, M., & Bloom, J. (Eds.). (2020). Heroism and., 78(6), 1863-1890.
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