If one is to attend a job interview it seems quite likely that you may be asked who is your hero? Most people tend to stick to the obvious examples: Winston Churchill, Gandhi and Nelson Mandela. We hold all these men with great reverence and most people would agree with their inclusion. Why though do we ever feel a need to apotheosise ‘great’ men and women and what is the opinion of those labelled or often burdened with the tag. I ask this question because the word hero has been used several times recently. David Cameron described his late disabled father as a ‘huge hero figure’ and last week the MoD released the names of the men and women awarded medals for recent military contributions in Afghanistan.
People have always looked for leaders and inspiration in society, particularly in difficult times. Thomas Carlyle's now obsolete ‘Great Man Theory’ was a practical belief that certain individuals dictated the course of history and changed the interactions of society forever. Yet often it is not these great men (and women) that we look up to. It is the ones that teach and motivate us. They are our guardians in time of need and solace. They are the ones that confounded the odds and changed history for the better.
If one is to attend a job interview it seems quite likely that you may be asked who is your hero? Most people tend to stick to the obvious examples: Winston Churchill, Gandhi and Nelson Mandela. We hold all these men with great reverence and most people would agree with their inclusion. Why though do we ever feel a need to apotheosise ‘great’ men and women and what is the opinion of those labelled or often burdened with the tag. I ask this question because the word hero has been used several times recently. David Cameron described his late disabled father as a ‘huge hero figure’ and last week the MoD released the names of the men and women awarded medals for recent military contributions in Afghanistan.
Why though do people who are called heroes feel they need to disprove it? It is simply that these people were never looking for such titles or admiration. Their lives were never dictated for glory or decoration. The most venerated members of the British Army are those who have received the Victoria Cross, simply engraved with the words of ‘For Valour’, it is only awarded to those who perform the most brave of acts in the face of the enemy. Many say that when performing such acts, these soldiers face a 90% chance of dying; often with no regard for their own lives. Yet listening to their testimonies it is apparent that their ‘fame’ provides an unnecessary guilt. The medal becomes a chain around their own neck and hides the fate of their comrades. Perhaps it is just that without a medal you will remember all of them and not those who survived.
I remember watching the closing scenes of Clint Eastwood’s 2006 film Flags of Our Fathers and listening to the quote given by the veteran’s son. It seems very appropriate and is moving all the same:
“I finally came to the conclusion that he maybe he was right. Maybe there's no such thing as heroes. Maybe there are just people like my Dad. I finally came to understand why they were so uncomfortable being called heroes. Heroes are something we create, something we need. It's a way for us to understand what's almost incomprehensible, how people could sacrifice so much for us, but for my dad and these men, the risks they took, the wounds they suffered, they did that for their buddies. They may have fought for their country but they died for their friends. For the man in front, for the man beside him, and if we wish to truly honour these men we should remember them the way they really were, the way my dad remembered them.”
Heroes are a palpable way for us to realise our dreams. They are the inspiration in our somewhat prosaic lives. They score the goal that we dream to score. They challenge the injustices with desire and pugnacity that we could only hope for. They represent our aspirations and hold our safety net at the same time. They provide an answer to the meaning of our lives and a platform to progress. As corny as it may sound we all need our hero at some time in our lives.
People have always looked for leaders and inspiration in society, particularly in difficult times. Thomas Carlyle's now obsolete ‘Great Man Theory’ was a practical belief that certain individuals dictated the course of history and changed the interactions of society forever. Yet often it is not these great men (and women) that we look up to. It is the ones that teach and motivate us. They are our guardians in time of need and solace. They are the ones that confounded the odds and changed history for the better.
If one is to attend a job interview it seems quite likely that you may be asked who is your hero? Most people tend to stick to the obvious examples: Winston Churchill, Gandhi and Nelson Mandela. We hold all these men with great reverence and most people would agree with their inclusion. Why though do we ever feel a need to apotheosise ‘great’ men and women and what is the opinion of those labelled or often burdened with the tag. I ask this question because the word hero has been used several times recently. David Cameron described his late disabled father as a ‘huge hero figure’ and last week the MoD released the names of the men and women awarded medals for recent military contributions in Afghanistan.
Why though do people who are called heroes feel they need to disprove it? It is simply that these people were never looking for such titles or admiration. Their lives were never dictated for glory or decoration. The most venerated members of the British Army are those who have received the Victoria Cross, simply engraved with the words of ‘For Valour’, it is only awarded to those who perform the most brave of acts in the face of the enemy. Many say that when performing such acts, these soldiers face a 90% chance of dying; often with no regard for their own lives. Yet listening to their testimonies it is apparent that their ‘fame’ provides an unnecessary guilt. The medal becomes a chain around their own neck and hides the fate of their comrades. Perhaps it is just that without a medal you will remember all of them and not those who survived.
I remember watching the closing scenes of Clint Eastwood’s 2006 film Flags of Our Fathers and listening to the quote given by the veteran’s son. It seems very appropriate and is moving all the same:
“I finally came to the conclusion that he maybe he was right. Maybe there's no such thing as heroes. Maybe there are just people like my Dad. I finally came to understand why they were so uncomfortable being called heroes. Heroes are something we create, something we need. It's a way for us to understand what's almost incomprehensible, how people could sacrifice so much for us, but for my dad and these men, the risks they took, the wounds they suffered, they did that for their buddies. They may have fought for their country but they died for their friends. For the man in front, for the man beside him, and if we wish to truly honour these men we should remember them the way they really were, the way my dad remembered them.”
Heroes are a palpable way for us to realise our dreams. They are the inspiration in our somewhat prosaic lives. They score the goal that we dream to score. They challenge the injustices with desire and pugnacity that we could only hope for. They represent our aspirations and hold our safety net at the same time. They provide an answer to the meaning of our lives and a platform to progress. As corny as it may sound we all need our hero at some time in our lives.
No comments:
Post a Comment