A
Anonymous
Guest
Since the dawn of mankind, people have been looking for heroes to identify with, to take as an example and, if necessary, to compete with. In the very early days, this could have been the slayer of ten sabre-tooth tigers, the man who could carry the heaviest rock or even the mother who gave birth to the most children.
As time went by, heroes became canonic and dogmatic. People no longer identified with the strongest of their group, but of men and sometimes women who were elevated into a pantheon. Some of them were in fact the culmination of exemplary character traits, such as Achilleus, Heracles, Odysseus or Hector; others were actual historical people that had achieved things unthinkable before, like Alexander the Great, Hannibal or Caesar.
As civilisation progressed, and society became more urban, more distant from its roots and frontiers, these 'real' heroes became more distant too. All the Heracles' and Hectors were becoming old and anachronistic; the Alexanders and Caesars became distant figures that fought at distant borders, and which you would at best see once in a lifetime when they triumphed through their hometowns. The people needed new heroes. They needed them close, they needed them readily available and, if necessary, they needed to be replaceable. The new heroes did not fulfil any truly 'heroic' deeds that history profited from. They did not build monuments or conquer far-off lands. They won chariot races in the circus or killed people in the arena, being watched by thousands of spectators. Charioteers and gladiators became the new popular heroes, their tales became new inspiration, and best of all, there were new heroes and new tales to be told every generation.
The Middle Ages returned to the roots. Heroes were once again real warriors or real saints, and this continued until way into the modern ages. Only by the 19th century had the new conditions brought the desire for generic heroes again. Today, our heroes are to be found on race tracks, in stadiums, and on film; their deeds do not benefit mankind in any way other than entertaining. Some tales are inspirational, like those of Lance Armstrong or Christopher Reeve. They teach us that anything is possible and that the only thing we need to overcome is ourselves. Then, there are the heroes of every day life- the policemen who were called by a little girl who was scared home alone and told her bedtime stories to comfort her; the brave man who rescued a trapped person from a burning car... they are tales of ordinary people like you and me who grow beyond their assumed limits. We have a wide variety of heroes to choose from; from Martin Luther King to Indiana Jones, from David Beckham to Frodo Baggins. Everybody can choose his personal hero who is similar to himself in character traits, in in physical or psychical abilities or anything else.
Great heroes get surrounded by a big hype. Their faces are always in the media, and their wallets get thicker and thicker. Many people are annoyed by that, and they either claim not to need a hero, or they, sometimes secretly, look for someone who is closer to themselves. In the end, most people do have their own idol which they compare and compete with, which they consult in whatever way when in doubt. This person can be Arnold Schwarzenegger, but it can also be your grandfather; in whatever case, we tend to ask what they would do in our case, or what they would think of us if they saw us as we are. And sometimes, we don't even know that. On the other hand, some people indeed don't need examples or idols and can identify with themselves and their own deeds.
What are your thoughts on this? Do you have your own hero or heroes, or do you rely totally on yourself? Do you think that idols are obsolete or a symbol for the lack of self-confidence?
As time went by, heroes became canonic and dogmatic. People no longer identified with the strongest of their group, but of men and sometimes women who were elevated into a pantheon. Some of them were in fact the culmination of exemplary character traits, such as Achilleus, Heracles, Odysseus or Hector; others were actual historical people that had achieved things unthinkable before, like Alexander the Great, Hannibal or Caesar.
As civilisation progressed, and society became more urban, more distant from its roots and frontiers, these 'real' heroes became more distant too. All the Heracles' and Hectors were becoming old and anachronistic; the Alexanders and Caesars became distant figures that fought at distant borders, and which you would at best see once in a lifetime when they triumphed through their hometowns. The people needed new heroes. They needed them close, they needed them readily available and, if necessary, they needed to be replaceable. The new heroes did not fulfil any truly 'heroic' deeds that history profited from. They did not build monuments or conquer far-off lands. They won chariot races in the circus or killed people in the arena, being watched by thousands of spectators. Charioteers and gladiators became the new popular heroes, their tales became new inspiration, and best of all, there were new heroes and new tales to be told every generation.
The Middle Ages returned to the roots. Heroes were once again real warriors or real saints, and this continued until way into the modern ages. Only by the 19th century had the new conditions brought the desire for generic heroes again. Today, our heroes are to be found on race tracks, in stadiums, and on film; their deeds do not benefit mankind in any way other than entertaining. Some tales are inspirational, like those of Lance Armstrong or Christopher Reeve. They teach us that anything is possible and that the only thing we need to overcome is ourselves. Then, there are the heroes of every day life- the policemen who were called by a little girl who was scared home alone and told her bedtime stories to comfort her; the brave man who rescued a trapped person from a burning car... they are tales of ordinary people like you and me who grow beyond their assumed limits. We have a wide variety of heroes to choose from; from Martin Luther King to Indiana Jones, from David Beckham to Frodo Baggins. Everybody can choose his personal hero who is similar to himself in character traits, in in physical or psychical abilities or anything else.
Great heroes get surrounded by a big hype. Their faces are always in the media, and their wallets get thicker and thicker. Many people are annoyed by that, and they either claim not to need a hero, or they, sometimes secretly, look for someone who is closer to themselves. In the end, most people do have their own idol which they compare and compete with, which they consult in whatever way when in doubt. This person can be Arnold Schwarzenegger, but it can also be your grandfather; in whatever case, we tend to ask what they would do in our case, or what they would think of us if they saw us as we are. And sometimes, we don't even know that. On the other hand, some people indeed don't need examples or idols and can identify with themselves and their own deeds.
What are your thoughts on this? Do you have your own hero or heroes, or do you rely totally on yourself? Do you think that idols are obsolete or a symbol for the lack of self-confidence?
