HERO, WHO ARE YOU?

Throughout our lives, we have seen in our pop culture most people’s perception of what a hero is. We have seen countless times Superman fly in to save the day, or Captain America fend off aliens with his shield, or even Iron Man heroically save the existence of humanity with a snap of his fingers, but what really is the definition of heroism? What makes a person a hero? Merriam-Webster describes a hero as “a person admired for achievements and noble qualities.” Perhaps that definition is valid but it could be elaborated upon much more. In my eyes, what makes a person a hero are the facts that he or she must put the lives and needs of others on equal, if not higher, footing as their own, have the boldness to accomplish something no one else dares to try, to possess the courage to be afraid and to have the courage to forgive, if not forget.

   SELFLESS

 First of all, a hero needs to be selfless, which is, to say, that the hero needs to believe that all other people are just as important as himself, if not more. To first understand this aspect of a hero’s qualities, we must first understand what a villain is. One of the villain’s objectives is to make a name for themselves. True, it might not be the most important objective, but nonetheless, it is still there. If the hero chases after the villain in search of glory, then he is only slightly better than the villain himself. A “true” hero will not do so. He will rather stay behind and help the people and ease the destruction the villain left behind. This is the reason most real-life, true heroes’ names are not known until they are found doing the good deeds by someone. They do not advertise themselves and continue being selfless. Amid the coronavirus pandemic that is going on in 2020, the bona fide heroes are not the celebrities advertising their charities, but the people who use the charity to actually help the people in need. This quality is not as rare and one-in-a-million as we think, but the world needs people like these.

COURAGE

This leads us to the quality of having the courage to accomplish the feat no one else dares to step towards. In our history, in the world’s history, there are countless examples of ordinary men and women who set out in search of something they believed would have helped people and they found it. And the only reason they found it was because they persevered while no one else did. Some ordinary people are extraordinary in their own right purely because of their boldness and their determination to do some right. This is precisely why “true” heroes are so precious in today’s world. Most people do not step up to the challenge and do not dare to follow their dreams. They do not dare to take control of their own destiny. They do not dare to be unique. They do not dare to be themselves. Heroes are their own. They do not slink away after they are defeated. They persevere to accomplish what they had set out to do. This is the difference between heroes and everyone else.

BRAVE AND VALOR

 Another disposition of a hero is being able to feel afraid. Or rather, having the bravery and valor to be afraid. By this, I do not mean that they will forever and always be afraid. I mean that they overcome their fears one after the other. Overcoming fears is what motivates them to keep going. This is another quality that sets them apart from others. Fear is not a weakness. It is a strength that, when used, can yield extraordinary results. Doctors, firefighters, and policemen are afraid often. They are afraid to leave their families, their children. But they push all of that aside and head into the unknown. They are the real heroes of our time. They help and save people not knowing what lays ahead. This amount of bravery is extremely commendable and they need to be appreciated more.

MAGNANIMOUS

This leads us to the distinction of a real-life hero that is having the ability and courage to forgive and perhaps even forget. Heroes will often encounter cases of people who committed a travesty but repent their actions. In these instances, the heroes need to be merciful and give the person a second chance. That is the essence of this quality, the gift of a second chance. Every person, good or bad, deserves a second chance, no matter what they have or haven't done in their lives. People do not deserve to be judged by their worst mistakes; they deserve to be judged by their best successes. That is what a real hero believes. Anyone who goes after revenge or so-called "justice" for just one act is not a hero.

CONTENTMENT

 In conclusion, heroes have the qualities of being selfless and viewing themselves as the same as others, being courageous enough to do things no one else wants to, have the courage to be afraid, and have the decency to grant a second chance. In the modern era, heroes are often only ordinary people who have made themselves extraordinary by being the people that they are. Heroes are not born heroes. We get to decide whether we want to make a difference, and only then will the world be helped. In the immortal words of Albus Dumbledore, “Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.” The world might be in dark times right now, but the heroes are the ones that keep the flame of hope alive. 

- The Bro