What Makes A Hero?

7 Pages 1776 Words

What makes a hero? Are hero’s born or made? These questions have many answers, all of which correct in their own right. The American Heritage Dictionary defines a hero as “a man noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose”, or, “a man noted for his special achievements in a particular field”. Clearly heroism takes many forms. If Kitty Kelly’s definition of a hero, “a hero is someone all can admire without apology” is accurate, many celebrity athletes of today would find themselves ousted off the list of hero’s of the athletic arena.
“The heroism found in sports is powerful, legitimate, and sometimes even magical, but it is a heroism that is quite different from that of everyday people”(Mosher 280). Firefighters, soldiers, volunteers are all hero’s in my opinion. While the things they do everyday are special, and benefit greater society as a whole positively, they unfortunately are not placed on the lofty pedestals on the national stage as great athletes are. Athletes like Cal Ripken Jr., Muhammad Ali, and Lance Armstrong are few of the athletes that deserve the heroic status bestowed upon them by a society “starving for people to admire”. Cal Ripken’s work ethic and loyalty to his team and fans, Muhammad Ali’s unwillingness to be inducted into the United States Army because it went against something he believed in, and Lance Armstrong’s fight against cancer and commitment to winning are all examples of the strength of character necessary to be legitimately entitled a hero. Often, society confuses fames and celebrity with heroism. Being a skilled and talented athlete makes you just that: having a strong sense of duty, honor, loyalty, courage, and integrity that leads to honorable success makes you a hero.
Benjamin Disraeli, an English prime minister of old is quoted with saying, “the legacy of heroes is the memory of a great name and the inheritance of a great example”. Recently, this exp...