Heroes

A hero is a person who, when faced with danger and disaster or from a position of weakness, demonstrates courage and a willingness to self-sacrifice for a greater cause. Initially, this heroism often had to do with struggle or excel at something, but later expanded to a more general moral excellence. I find, personally, that people who, against their will, go their own way, without being deterred from doing so by anything or anyone, are also heroes. People who, just by going the way they have to go, can be there, even better, for others. To choose for yourself in spite of all opposition, then you are very strong, then you are a hero.

In my experience, in addition to the heroes mentioned earlier, there is a third kind of ‘hero’. I would call this the false hero. These people place themselves in the center of attention. They point the way. They know where to go. What these ‘heroes’ are really about is their own well-being. They are the Pied Piper of Hamelin. People believe the stories, find the tone of the music attractive, and meekly follow him. A characteristic of these rat-catchers is that they continually confirm their dissatisfaction with their audience, without coming up with real solutions. The solutions are visions of a world that does not exist. A world that ignores the other, a world focused on alone rather than together. People run after these rat-catchers because they simplify the world. They order the world in such a way that everyone could understand it. The world is presented black and white, the solutions simple. However, the world is not black and white and the solutions are not simple.

The true heroes are those people who manage to paint a real picture of the future. The true heroes are those who are honest and do not say it will be an easy path. The true heroes are those who can choose that difficult path despite everything. The true heroes are those who bring people together. The true heroes are those who come up with real solutions.

Why do we always run after the wrong people in a crisis?