Like many of my generation,I have a weakness for hero worship.At some point,however,we all begin to question our heroes and our need for them.This leads us to ask:What is a hero?
Despite immense differences in cultures,heroes around the world generally share a number of characteristics that instruct and inspire people.
A hero does something worth talking about.A hero has a story of adventure to tell and a community who will listen.But a hero goes beyond mere fame.
Heroes serve powers or principles larger than themselves.Like high-voltage transformers,heroes take the energy of higher powers and step it down so that it can be used by ordinary people.
The hero lives a life worthy of imitation.Those who imitate a genuine hero experience life with new depth,enthusiasm,and meaning.A sure test for would-be heroes is what or whom do they serve?What are they willing to live and die for?If the answer or evidence suggests they serve only their own fame,they may be famous persons but not heroes.
Madonna and Michael Jackson are famous,but who would claim that their fans find life more abundant?
Heroes are catalysts (催化劑) for change.They have a vision from the mountaintop.They have the skill and the charm to move the masses.They create new possibilities.Without Gandhi,India might still be part of the British Empire.Without Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King,Jr.,we might still have segregated (隔離的) buses,restaurants,and parks.It may be possible for large-scale change to occur without leaders with magnetic personalities,but the pace of change would be slow,the vision uncertain,and the committee meetings endless.
就像大多數(shù)我的同齡人一樣,我也有崇拜英雄的弱點(diǎn).然而,在某些時(shí)候,我們都開始質(zhì)疑我們的英雄以及我們究竟是否需要他們.這就引出了一個(gè)問題：英雄是什么?
盡管各種文化之間有著巨大的差異,世界各地的英雄在性格方面,通常都有很多的共同點(diǎn),這些共同點(diǎn)指引并鼓舞著人們.
一個(gè)英雄做的事情,會(huì)成為大家討論的話題.英雄會(huì)有一個(gè)歷險(xiǎn)故事給大家講,
以及一群愿意聽故事的聽眾.但是英雄之所以是英雄,可不僅僅是因?yàn)槊?
英雄們遵從比他們自己更強(qiáng)大的力量及理論、思想.就像高壓變電器一樣,英雄們把強(qiáng)大的力量壓制下來,于是這些力量就能被普通人所接受、利用.
英雄的生活是值得人們效仿的.那些模仿真正英雄的人,他們會(huì)經(jīng)歷到生活的深度、熱情和意義.一種方法可以測試出某個(gè)看起來將成為英雄的人是否能夠擔(dān)當(dāng)真正的英雄.他們的言行以什么或誰為準(zhǔn)則?他們愿為什么而舍生忘死?如果有答案或證據(jù)表明他們只圖自己的名望,這樣的人可能會(huì)成為名人,但并非英雄.
麥當(dāng)娜和邁克爾.杰克遜很有名,但誰會(huì)認(rèn)為他們的崇拜者們能夠因此而生活得更充實(shí)呢?
英雄是促使變化發(fā)生的催化劑.他們站在山頂,有開闊的視野.他們有足以感動(dòng)公眾的能力和感染力.他們是不可能成為可能.如果沒有甘地,也許印度仍是大英帝國的一部分.如果沒有羅莎.帕克斯和馬丁.路德.金,我們也許仍然被排斥在公共汽車,餐廳和公園之外.沒有領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者和磁鐵一般的名人,大規(guī)模的變革也有可能發(fā)生,但是變革的步伐就會(huì)緩慢不前,前景搖擺不定,而委員會(huì)層出不窮.