heroes
my friend psyche's blog was ruminating on who her heroes are. that raised the interesting question in my mind, "what is a hero"? clearly, there is a lot of subjectivity involved. one man's freedom fighter is another man's terrorist. so, the cause/idea that they are identified with would be another variable for consideration. is it what they do? is it how they do it? is it the end result? how many heroes do we revere failed? che guevara is considered a hero in some circles, but the communist revolution withered (although, there is a strong socialist resurgence in that area of the world right now...). mao tse tung's policies are discredited by modern China's burgeoning market economy. additionally, many of the heroes that psyche nominated were involved in the military and all of them were men. she has only one, alfred north whitehead, who is not attached to religion (directly) or military affairs for recognition. i think it is our natural inclination to ascribe great value to military achievements- it's literally the apex of the human condition. there is no greater adversity that can be confronted than war. but, is it military endeavors that advance humanity? i would suggest this is not true as a rule. it is the attainment of concept built upon a structured precedent-- ironically, conflict tends to degrade this ability. i believe that the definition of a hero is split by this dichotomy: heroes certainly must be those who distinguish themselves in great adversity, but surely they must also be those who contribute significantly? perhaps this also is a form of adversity, since they must overcome the adversity of an intellectual paradigm?
a short list of heroes with a focus on females who appear to have been overlooked on the referenced list:
rosa parks
marie curie
susan b. anthony
golda meir
indira gandhi
rosalind franklin
barbara jordan
shirley chisholm
[definitely subjective for the next two]
oprah winfrey
martha stewart
albert einstein
nicolaus copernicus
galileo galilei
leonardo davinci [inventions]
aristotle
plato
confucius
buddha
martin luther
[okay, cut short, but you get the idea]
a short list of heroes with a focus on females who appear to have been overlooked on the referenced list:
rosa parks
marie curie
susan b. anthony
golda meir
indira gandhi
rosalind franklin
barbara jordan
shirley chisholm
[definitely subjective for the next two]
oprah winfrey
martha stewart
albert einstein
nicolaus copernicus
galileo galilei
leonardo davinci [inventions]
aristotle
plato
confucius
buddha
martin luther
[okay, cut short, but you get the idea]
3 Comments:
Brio,
There is a difference between listing "Heroes" and listing YOUR Heroes. I certainly argree with you that objectivity is not possible, yes - one's Hero may be another's Terrorist - or another's Idiot - depending. That's why its important to look at our Heros - what is it that YOU admire most in a person - it speaks to what you value. What do you value - and think of regularly in deciding on your own actions...
I realize that you are as intelligent a creature as I, and that either could sit and list "Heroes" - well known or otherwise - from now until we collect social security. (Okay, that day will never come, I realize... but it makes the point.) I want to know - on a daily basis - when tough decisions come, or you have the chance to "choose" in life... who comes into your head? Who exemplifies the values most important to YOU?
I think the most rewarding thing about examining our heroes is see what we value and THINK about it, which also can help us to make changes we desire... perhaps my agressive/masculine character would be tempered by my actively seeking out heroes who exemplify other traits I admire and wish to adopt.
I realize this will come off a bit course, and as you me - I hope you will take it as genuine - but I expect more depth from you, since I am well aware of the reservior your hording back there! LOL
Why the distant "puffer" pieces? Especially after sharing your poetry, which must be revealing.. though, as you havementioned, you dont go into what it means to you -
Brio - Whats REALLY important to YOU, who do YOU think of when you are making the choices in ever moment that define who you are? What do you want to be when you grow up? What really motivates you? THATS a far more difficult and real admission than a list of women heroes, isnt it?
Perhaps not. Its all relative, I know.
AND BTW - I DID have Joan of Arc, Jonas Salk, Churchhill and John Adams! So Thpthpthp!
LOL
~Psyche
well said. yes, you have nailed me perfectly on this one. what originally most interested me about your post was what it said about you, which is what you have remarked on here. however, i did not consider that for discussion, instead it provoked in my mind the question of what makes a "hero" in the collective consciousness-- hence, my exploration toward that end, followed by the dry, feeble listing at the end of no particular meaning.
i also recognize the frustration that must cause per your example. i am willing to reveal myself quite openly through poetic expression, but distance myself in my thoughts and short essays. one factor is the amount of concentration and time that i can devote, i have yet to be able to write one of these pieces without being interrupted numerous times. i admit that's a deflection. a second easy one, no emotion in logic. when i'm emotional, it's me.
for now, "distant puffer pieces" , the rest will come when it is time. terrible answer for someone to hear, but that's the way i work. i'll just know and will be thusly inspired, until then, well. of course, inspiration may come in many forms... my earlier post "life of pause" touches on this. i will spend some time to see if i can discern a list of my heroes to meet this at least quarter way; to be honest, i don't usually think of other people within this context for inspiration. we'll see where this little internal exercise takes me. fair enough?
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