What is Heroic

Off Topic
1

This topic may not be of interest to anyone else but…

An interesting tangent was brought up in another thread about what makes something “heroic.”

I’d be interested to hear what people think.

Who are some of your heroes?

What qualities in people are “heroic?”

2

The word hero is as common place as bags full of candy on halloween. Everyone’s a “hero” these days.

Some people are considered hero’s simply by their job title, even though they may never do a heroic thing in their lives.

So what’s a hero?

Here’s what the dictionary says:

he‧ro  /ˈhɪəroʊ/ [heer-oh]
?noun, plural -roes; for 5 also -ros.

  1. a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities.
  2. a person who, in the opinion of others, has heroic qualities or has performed a heroic act and is regarded as a model or ideal: He was a local hero when he saved the drowning child.
  3. the principal male character in a story, play, film, etc.
  4. Classical Mythology.
    a. a being of godlike prowess and beneficence who often came to be honored as a divinity.
    b. (in the Homeric period) a warrior-chieftain of special strength, courage, or ability.
    c. (in later antiquity) an immortal being; demigod.
  5. hero sandwich.
  6. the bread or roll used in making a hero sandwich.

I think I like number six the best.

3

Someone who, when faced with a difficult choice, chooses to do what’s right rather than what’s easy; especially if that involves putting his own life at risk.

To be truly heroic, I think there needs to be some danger involved. It need not be life threatening, but there should be something on the line.

If you’re on a diet, skipping that Twinkie is probably right, vs. the “easy” choice of eating it. It is not, however, heroic.