The word “Hero” is defined in many ways in our society. The dictionary explains it as follows
noun
noun: hero; plural noun: heroes; noun: hero sandwich; plural noun: hero sandwiches
1. a person, typically a man, who is admired for their courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.
“a war hero”
synonyms: brave man, champion, man of courage, great man, man of the hour, conquering hero, victor, winner, conqueror, lionheart, warrior, paladin, knight, white hat; More
antonyms: coward, loser
2. the chief male character in a book, play, or film, who is typically identified with good qualities, and with whom the reader is expected to sympathize.
“the hero of Kipling’s story”
synonyms: male protagonist, principal male character; More
antonyms: villain
3. (in mythology and folklore) a person of superhuman qualities and often semi-divine origin, in particular one whose exploits were the subject of ancient Greek myths
So many names come to my mind..most from my childhood..a few from my adult life..yet it is obvious we all have at least one “HERO” whom we look up to.Here are a some of my all time favourite “HERO”.
Superman
My all time favourite as he can fly anywhere he wants. Saviour in distress.
Mandrake
I love his magic very much as also his house “Xanadu”. His magic of projecting on an “Handkerchief” of memories is a clinger and especially useful in court of law.
Bahadur
Wow, his expertise in martial arts is mesmerizing. He was a defender of the innocent.
Phantom
The Ghost who walks. As a kid, I yearned to wear the ring of the skull. It spelt death to the criminals of the world. Remember his house in the jungle. That’s my vacation home 🙂
He-Man
His muscular built and the way he said “I am the Master of the Universe”. I spent many a hours in the gym to get the kind of physique he has.
Batman
I love his “Batmobile”. It is state of the art and is a car lover’s dream come true. It can fly and be driven at top speed, not to mention it is bullet proof.
The list is endless as I dip into the fountain of my childhood memories.
As I grew up into an adult, besides my continued childhood attraction to each of these “Hero”, what also catches my attention is that each of these “HERO” have a companion/partner/spouse who are their strength and support. These unsung “HERO” actually made them “HUMAN” in their heroism and kept them grounded. As a HERO, it is very easy to get carried away and become arrogant. It is the love of there partner which helped them continue to serve mankind. I repeat “LOVE”.
When I look at the underlying patterns in all these central characters, it is evident that the need to preserve the “human specie” was central. Besides this, each of them strives to uphold the forces of nature including nurturing the flora and fauna of the earth. Except for Superman who came from another planet, his higher purpose was evident which came from personal experience of having lost his parents and his planet “Krypton”, the rest of them were all next door neighbors, living just the “ordinary” life that you and me can connect with.
There is that distinct call to each of these hero to uphold the universal values of truth, honesty, compassion, love and mercy. I have not come across any hero so far who does not uphold these values. Have you?
Yet, as a society, many of us are grappling with the opposing forces of these universal values. As a society, the world is currently challenged with corruption, dishonesty, hatred, discrimination, hate crimes etc.
Is it time we bring back the qualities of our “Heroes” into our lives rather than relegating them to comic books and movies. I believe there is a “HERO” in each one of us who resonates with these universal values. It is time to re-ignite that child within us who believes in his “superhero” qualities and is willing to save mankind and Planet Earth.
I have used the word “hero” in a gender neutral sense. However, even as I am writing this, I am made aware that all my “hero” are male heroes. This is an interesting observation on my own process work. What about you, my dear readers? Do share your reflections in the “Comments” section please.
To extend the observation of my own process work, I am thinking aloud,
How does this translate in an organization context, from a diversity perspective or as a social construct?
– #SJ
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