Heroes are individuals with their own sense of style that makes them great, from the imagination of Steven Spielberg to the keen business sense of entrepreneur Bill Gates; from the hilarious comedic ability of Robin Williams to the perseverance of former Superman, Christopher Reeves. The tenth edition of Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary defines hero as “a man admired for his achievements and noble qualities” (543). Qualities commonly seen in great individuals include humor, humility, compassion, imagination, knowledge, and insight to name a few. A musician by the name of Bob Dylan once said, “A hero is someone who understands the respo

We as a society decide who will be our heroes. Sociologist Henry L. Tischer writes, “value is a culture’s general orientations toward life – it’s notions of what is good and bad, what is desirable and undesirable” (Intro to Sociology 58). We have some preconceived notions about what is acceptable in our culture. To some, these people need to be a certain height, weight, or color to be considered a hero or role model. To others, they just need to have a soft lap or a shoulder to cry on. Children look to parents for guidance as well as teachers and sports figures. Parents may even look to their children for encouragement or comic relief. We each have to decide for ourselves who will be our heroes and role models. Some use the cookie-cutter version of what society thinks would be a good role model and others use their own experience to determine who will wear that hat. Everyone has a say in who will be considered their hero.

All in all, I think our heroes help shape who we are as a society as well as individuals everyday. Heroes will always drift in and out of our lives, influencing us in many ways. They make us who we are. They define goals and provide us with insight. From your parents to Albert Einstein, at one time or another, everyone has had a role model or hero. They are made up of qualities and characteristics that we would like to have in our own lives. We emulate their behaviors and incorporate them into our everyday life. Everyone has the potential to be a hero to someone else. Heroes and role models inspire people everyday, in all walks of life. Some will last a lifetime and some will just slip quietly away, but the idea of a hero will always be a part of our lives.

Another example of the flash in the pan variety could be President of the United States. The President may seem like a figure that can withstand the test of time, but do they really? Perhaps we are just drilled and quizzed and tested over their names in s

Some topics in this essay:
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