So, the word of the day is hero! Why?
Umm…mostly because I finished reading a Superman comic, but that's not important! I most definitely don't wish that I was Lex Luthor sometimes. Nope. Definitely not.
Never…
Shush, Dave! Don't tell all my secrets. A guy's gotta have some, right?
Ahem.
Hero. What is the first word that comes to mind when you hear the word hero? What is the image that pops into your head at first thought?
For most people, the first words would be saviour, cool, strong, just, or brave. The image is generally that of a tall muscular man with chiseled features and a smoking hot girl hanging off his arm. Or, if you have a female hero in mind, it is generally a tall, short haired woman with large boobs who isn't afraid to show 'em off. She is generally alone in an attempt to prove that she 'doesn't need a man'.
A loud buzzer sounds in the distance.
Eeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrchhhhhh…!
You have won the WRONG answer!
Notice what is wrong about the 'common' conception of a hero?
I'll wait.
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Notice how they are purposefully portrayed as super attractive, brave people who try their hardest to be seen as badass? Hah! How many people fit that description?
Not many, I'll tell you that. Under normal circumstances, I'd say Mello might fit it, but I think that I might be mad at him. He ain't gettin' no compliments from me!
No, a hero is a person is someone who helps others.
They are people who are self-sacrificing idiots who don't know when to say when. They forget their limits and their own pain if it means that others live. Take Capitan America, for example.
He is a really good median between the conceived hero, and the real hero.
Capitan America is a tall, blond, blue-eyed, completely attractive person, but he also has the values: selfless, self-sacrificing, interested in the wellbeing of others – typical boy scout material, actually.
He frequently says in the comics that he would give his life for the safety of the world.
A real life hero could be a person who decides to put their reputation on the line to support people they believe in, a lawyer who only defends the clients he believes are innocent, or the soldier who takes a bullet for his partner.
Not some stupid detective who hides behind a letter in big fancy script.
Hiding, no matter how pragmatic it may seem, is a form of cowardice. If you want someone to view you as a hero, as someone worth believing in, then you don't hide. You don't interact with your 'pawns' from behind a screen. You don't play with their lives like they are spare pennies.
This proves cowardice, fear, and anti-social behaviours.
And we all know what that tends to signify in psychology.
Yes, Dave, I am calling L a coward in my book – knowing perfectly well that Watari is reading. He can show this to L for all I care! People tend to think that they are right until someone up and tells them that they are wrong. No one has really done that to L, the hero of many.
Sometimes, putting yourself on the pedestal labeled 'hero' is the least effective way to go about things.
If L really wanted to solve cases to help people he'd do so publicly, showing people that he is human too, and yet is completely confident in what he believes.
An excellent example of what I'm talking about is World War II Denmark's King Christian. When the country was under German Nazi occupation, many of the Danes wanted to hide, or fight back. Their King, Christian, did not think that this was the right way to go about this. I think that he was taking into account that, in retrospect, the occupation of Denmark was very mild when compared to the occupation of Poland. He didn't want to incite more wrath on his people, so, he did the best that he could.
King Christian rode his horse every day in the middle of Copenhagen's largest streets – in full view of the German guards. He would do this day, after day, after day, after day. When some of his watching citizens were asked why he rode alone, without body guards, they would reply,
"All of Denmark is his bodyguard."
You see, this is an example of a person who is doing what he thinks is right in any way that he can. He isn't showing fear.
He is showing trust.
Think about that next time you pretend to be someone's hero.
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This topic was suggested by Silver-'-Doe290, I hope that you enjoyed Matt's 'little' rant on it!
If you have a topic for me, do not hesitate to suggest it!