While the English language is constantly evolving, the overuse of words in the wrong context diminishes their meaning and value. The word “hero” is constantly being used, especially in the media, to apply to anything from sporting personalities to sporting shoes (Nike, 2016) to sandwiches. The book by Christopher and Smith (2007), entitled Greatest Sports Heroes of All Time, uses the word “hero” in the wrong context. In this context, the word “hero”” has been widely used to describe any person of prominence in the sporting world who has ever achieved something noteworthy, when in fact these people, while possessing remarkable skills in their chosen sports, can be classed as idols, stars or greats, but not as heroes. The misuse of this word demeans the deeds of those who are real heroes. Other examples of the misuse of the word “hero” occur in such phrases as “heroes of the Wild West”. These figures may by distinguished by historical stories, but many of them were not heroes by our current description, many of them having been involved in gunfights and killings. They are simply labelled “heroes” because they became famous or notorious.
The Merriman-Webster Dictionary defines “hero” as “a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent, endowed with great strength or ability: an illustrious warrior: a man admired for his achievements and noble qualities: one who shows great courage” (Merriam-Webster, 2003). It is this last description which is closest to the correct description. The word “hero” is derived from the Latin (and ultimately Greek) word, heros, meaning “demi-god” (von Schon, 1984)
Elements of altruism, selflessness and courage must be present in any correct meaning of the word “hero”. As defined by the Merriman-Webster Dictionary, altruism is the “unselfish regard for or devotion to the welfare of others” and selflessness is “having no concern for self” (Merriam-Webster, 2003). While courage, “mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty” (Merriam-Webster, 2003) is a common theme in many sporting competitions, it is the added attributes of altruism, and selflessness that are the hallmarks of a true hero.
Sportsman may be skilled or idolized or admired, but that does not necessarily make them heroes. Ingram (2005) maintains that heroes are those who put their lives at risk to help others, and cites those in occupations such as firefighters, policemen and soldiers. While those who undertake these professions do not automatically qualify as true heroes, people in these occupations are more likely to earn the title of hero, because every day they put their lives at risk for the benefit of the general public and very often they do so voluntarily.
In English, the inherent qualities of a hero can be readily identified and include a selfless willingness to sacrifice themselves for the benefit of others. The apparent lack of concern for one’s safety and well-being when facing a great threat iHs the essence of heroism (Isen, 2010). The word “heroism” also embodies the qualities of bravery, strength and fortitude and a person can be hailed as a hero for the act of dying for a just cause. However, true heroism embodies the qualities of strength, bravery, fortitude, altruism and courage (Isen, 2010).
Heroes do not have to have lived perfect lives, unsusceptible to vices and misdeeds. Indeed, a hero is a person who possesses all the normal human traits and failings, but who has carried out a noble deed (Isen, 2010). The people who perform heroic acts are often heard to say, “I didn’t stop to think about it, I just did it.” Svoboda (2013) explains the possibility that heroism may be an inherited or learned behaviour and the pre-frontal cortex of the human brain, where higher-level thought takes place, is also where generous decisions are made and the part of the brain that helps us identify with others. This latter is an essential element in the concept of unselfish action. It has also been discovered that heroes have been exposed to positive models of moral behaviour and that similar exposure to heroic behaviour may create the propensity for altruistic intervention (Jayawickreme, 2012). Svoboda also notes that animals are naturally altruistic, helping others of their species in order to achieve the most beneficial outcome for all (Svoboda, 2013).
Whether or not a person is a hero can be understood from the particular point of view from which he is observed. William Wallace, for example, is regarded as a great hero by the Scots, because he fought against the British invading their country. The Scots see Wallace as a gallant warrior, a shrewd fighter and a man of honor, courage and a symbol of freedom. However, to the English, he was nothing but a rebel and a brigand (Walsh, 1984).
Studies (Schlenker, 2008) have found that ideologies affect self-regulation and are instrumental in guiding a person’s behaviour. A principled ideology implies a greater degree of integrity and a greater allegiance to ethical standards and beliefs, while helping to resist the temptation to undertake illegal activities or immoral actions. In studies conducted among people with various standards of personal integrity, it was found that those with higher integrity judged their heroes by whether the decisions they made were ethical, while those lower in integrity were less interested in whether the decisions made by their heroes were ethical, and were more concerned with the outcome of that decision (Schlenker, 2008).
One group of people often regarded as heroes, are rescuers, although they do not identify themselves as heroic. When asked to explain the motivations for courageous behavior, they often state that “they had no choice’ (Jayawickreme, 2012). Although this statement seems to be confusing (of course, they had a choice), it may be that their inherent sense of morality did not allow them to delay their actions. Bystander apathy is a psychosocial phenomenon whereby a group of onlookers can witness a person in distress but will take no action, because they assume that others will. By diffusion of responsibility, an entire group of bystanders can fail to intervene (Garcia, 2002). Rescuers, on the other hand seem to be able to divorce themselves from this collective mentality and are able to act from a sense of empathy and a humanist perspective (Jayawickreme, 2012). This sense of common humanity is deeply embedded within the concept of empathy and it is this perspective that prevents other immoral choices from presenting themselves to the rescuer (Jayawickreme, 2012). Persons who possess empathy have a passionate sense of sympathy for others and they do not seem to be susceptible to the diffusion of responsibility which occurs in a crowd. Seeing others in pain triggers a gut reaction which distinguishes rescuers from other people. Although having empathy for another individual does not automatically produce heroic behaviors, however, it is much more likely that those who possess a universalistic perspective grounded in empathy will act heroically (Jayawickreme, 2012).
Rather than being restricted to heroic leaders, Zimbardo et al. (2013) proposes an inclusive vision of heroism as a normal inclusion in the everyday lives of ordinary people. The power of situations to influence individual behaviour has been discussed previously in this paper and psychological research has described how some situations possess the power to lead ordinary people to carry out extraordinary acts (Zimbardo, 2013). It is believed that heroic behaviour can be encouraged by fostering the “heroic imagination”. This “heroic imagination” exists in most communities where most group members are grounded in moral traditions. It is this “heroic imagination that value heroes who have sacrificed their safety and well-being for the greater good of the community. This applies to soldiers who have been injured or who have died for their country and who are honoured as heroes in their local community (Zimbardo, 2013).
Heroism is a complex behaviour which depicts altruism in its truest form. Usually uncommon, single-minded and frequently solitary in nature, it is a complex phenomenon which is constituted by differing perceptions within different cultural and moral communities. Personality and psychological studies have helped in the understanding of how a person’s traits and participation in a particular situation work together so that the person becomes a hero (or not) (Jayawickreme, 2012).
True heroes can take many forms and possess numerous positive traits which work together to produce heroic responses when required. The word “hero” should not be confused with those people who have outstanding sporting skills and abilities or those who give generously to charities. The definition of a hero encompasses much more than skills or altruism alone. True heroes think on a different plane and possess humanistic and empathetic traits which allow them to perform outstanding deeds. Laziness in language is quite common, but when the improper use of a word demeans the actions of noble people, it is time to rethink one’s vocabulary to provide a more precise meaning to the words which are nonchalantly bandied about in everyday use.
References
Christopher, P. a. (2007). Greatest Sports Heroes of All Times. Chicago: Encouragement Press LLC.
Garcia, S. W. (2002). Crowded Minds: The Implicit Bystander Effect. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 83(4), 843–853.
Ingram, S. (2005). What is a hero? Know Your World Extra, 33, 6-7.
Isen, J. (2010, July 19). The Heroes of Myth and Folklore: Part One – Defining a Hero. Retrieved from Once Upon A Time..: https://onceuponatimeinthedarkness.wordpress.com/2010/07/19/the-heroes-of-myth-and-folklore-part-one-defining-a-hero/
Jayawickreme, E. a. (2012). How Can We Study Heroism? Integrating Persons, Situations and Communities. Political Psychgology, 33(1), 165-178.
Merriam-Webster. (2003). Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (Eleventh ed.). (F. C. Mish, Ed.) Springfield, Massachusetts, USA: John M. Morse.
Nike. (2016). Nike Basketball Elite Series Hero Collection. Retrieved from Nike: http://www.nike.com/us/en_us/launch/c/2014-05/nike-basketball-elite-series-hero-collection
Schlenker, B. R. (2008). What Makes A Hero? The Impact of Integrity on Admiration and Interpersonal Judgment. Journal of Personality, 76, 323-355.
Svoboda, E. (2013). What Makes a Hero?: The Surprising Science of Selflessness. New York, New York: Penguin Group.
von Schon, C. (1984). A Hero of Greek Origin? American Speech, 59(4), 375-376.
Walsh, E. (1984). Hary's Wallace: The Evolution of a Hero. Scottish Literary Journal, 11(1), 5.
Zimbardo, P. G. (2013). "Exclusive" and "inclusive" visions of heroism and democracy. Current Psychology, 32(3), 221-233.
