The Modern Day Hero

What comes to your mind when you see the word “hero”?

Perhaps you see a knight in shining armor, on top of his horse with his sword held high with a courageous face and a ferocity that both encourages and frightens the hearts of men.

Perhaps you see Superman, Spiderman, Batman — the perennial household names known around the world who always come out on top to save the world with their supernatural abilities.

Wherever we see these heroes, we feel a sense of awe as we follow them in their lives. When we watch them in movies or read about their stories in comics and books, we project ourselves into their lives.

We laugh when they encounter a funny situation.

We feel a tug in our hearts when they are faced with difficult decisions and feel overwhelmed.

We feel determination when they slowly come to realize what they must do to defeat their greatest adversary.

We cheer and celebrate when they overcome their biggest obstacles.

A hero is an embodiment of the person we’d like to become.

Heroes are revered because they choose to think and act differently. They are deeply aware of their fears and weaknesses, yet they choose to confront them rather than run away or pretend they don’t exist.

While the crowd runs from the approaching cloud of chaos, a looming beast that threatens humanity, heroes walk towards it. They don’t do it with a naive mindset, believing that they are invincible; they know that they are facing death in the face but is willing to die trying.

Maybe I’m being too imaginative here. We’re obviously not going to be fighting gigantic mythical beasts or supervillains. We also don’t have to worry about foreign armies attacking us with cavalry and trebuchets.

We’re also beneficiaries of our forefathers who have created structured societies and no longer have to worry about wild animals and natural disasters threatening our livelihood.

(Well I guess I can’t speak for everyone around the world, but at least in my situation I consider myself to live in one of the safest cities)

But that doesn’t mean our problems aren’t as compelling. The world always need heroes. And anyone can choose to be a hero at any moment.

A modern day hero is someone who lives by strong moral principles. He/she know that people suffer through the selfish acts of others, and wishes to create a society that encourages everyone to aim for the things they desire most in life without impeding on the ability of others to do so as well.

A modern day hero is someone who puts others before his/her own needs.

A modern day hero is someone who keeps his/her word and never gives up on the things they promised themselves and to their loved ones.

A modern day hero is someone who doesn’t wait for others to change and fit his/her needs. Rather, he/she takes responsibility and embodies the change they want to see in the world.

A modern day hero is someone who takes time to care about another person.

We need heroes in every generation because they represent hope. Everyone realizes how much suffering there is in the world. People come into the world, are subjected to experiences that leave them broken and hurt, and have to come to terms with their own mortality.

It’s completely understandable that people would rather avoid facing their fears — why subject themselves to more potential suffering when they’re already hurting so much? It’s better to adopt a victim mentality and shake a fist at the structure of reality.

Heroes are aware of this fact, but accept that life is suffering and decide to shoulder the burden and fight against the crushing pressure of life. They decide to cling onto hope rather than succumb to desperation. They see a future full of light and potential rather than darkness and emptiness.

Instead of deciding to give in to the cynical perspective that life has no inherent meaning, they find meaning by adopting responsibility and developing a courageous mindset that allows them to stand their ground when everyone else is running.

In facing the darkness, which represents the amalgamation of all that you fear most, you will realize something. You will realize that the thing you feared is not so bad once you come face to face with it.

In fact, recognizing the fact that you have confronted it will make you more courageous, and you will be able to become the light that dispels the darkness.

With this epiphany and newfound power, you can become the hero that instills hope into the hearts of future generations.

It’s hard to be a modern day hero. But the effort to transform yourself into one will give your life purpose and inspire those around you.

Transcend your suffering and become the hero that everyone hopes you will become.

“Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty… I have never in my life envied a human being who led an easy life. I have envied a great many people who led difficult lives and led them well.”

― Theodore Roosevelt