The world needs more Heroes.

What do I mean by that? What constitutes a Hero? Everybody has different ideas, but most of them have something in common.

Let’s try and develop a provisional, piecemeal definition of what a Hero is:

A Hero is an archetypal protagonist- someone who makes decisions, takes action, is willing to put himself on the line. A Hero is socio-centric, his actions- and even his presence- benefits others. A Hero is typically a complex character, a relatively ordinary, likable character who goes on some sort of epic journey, overcoming danger and adversity in pursuit of fulfillment. A Hero is always somehow “different”, somehow “more” than the average man. He takes more risks. He fights for what he believes in. He tends to get in trouble. A Hero is a sort of entrepreneur, even if he doesn’t run his own business- he leverages resources, does what nobody else dares to do, and makes things happen. A Hero creates value, for himself and for others.

In video games, the Hero is typically the Player’s character. He could be defined in contrast to the NPCs, or Non-Player Characters. Compared to the Heroes, NPCs are relatively flat, passive characters  who don’t (usually) do much.

Almost all cultures have a fascination with Heroes- we write songs and stories about them. Our oldest and most beloved narratives are almost always Hero-driven- we’re fascinated and enthralled by the stories of ordinary men and women that we can relate to, who go on to make something of themselves. Luke Skywalker, Harry Potter, Neo, Jesus Christ, Odysseus, Theseus, Spiderman, Frodo, Commander Shepard, Barack Obama, Michael Jordan, Carl Sagan, Steve Jobs, Henry Ford, Winston Churchill, Aladdin – ordinary people who rise above their circumstances. Deep down, we relate to them. Their struggles might seem far greater than ours, yet there’s something about their struggles that seem universal- we can all relate to their troubles.

There’s actually a generalized stereotype of the Hero’s Journey, and it goes as follows:

It begins with the perfect day, interrupted by a call to adventure- which the Hero often refuses. He then receives some sort of divine aid from a mentor figure, and crosses the threshold from his idyllic perfect world into the unknown. He’s thrown into the belly of the whale, and has to fight through a series a trials to get out- following which he discovers something magnificent and wonderful, described sometimes as the earth-mother or the world-soul, perhaps a love interest. Empowered, he then confronts his greatest threat or enemy, succeeds, and receives a great boon or bounty in turn. He then makes the perilous journey back home, having been forever changed by the experience, carrying with him (or within him!) a holy grail of sorts that benefits everyone else. He is finally fulfilled, being able to live in the moment, at peace with himself and the world.

Phew! Well that was rather dramatic. In a sense we all go through our own little journeys and quests- but the vast majority of people, in my opinion, tend to refuse their calls to adventure- it’s frightening, scary. We tend to prefer a life that is safe, familiar, comfortable.

The concept of a Hero and the idea of morality and goodness is hard to separate, but I feel it’s necessary- nobody is born a good, moral Hero- it’s something you develop and grow into. I’m particularly curious about the fledglings- people who feel like they’re different, in a sense larger- they can turn out “good”, “bad” or everything in between- some people sense that they are “destined” for greater things.

The ideal end-goal I have in mind is a world where everybody is a fully developed Hero in his or her own right. That’s obviously not going to happen in my lifetime, or perhaps ever- but I feel it’s an important ideal to hold up.  In the meantime, I’d like to grow and develop as an individual into somebody who could be worthy of being described as a Hero to others, and to inspire and and provoke others into doing the same.

You can’t focus on everybody at once, though- so I’m interested in people who’re already sticking their necks out, perhaps getting into trouble, “cursed” with the ability to see alternative possibilities and solutions that contradict the status quo.

I want to build a sort of community, to connect potential would-be Heroes to one another, to help them see that they are not alone. I’m tentatively calling this the Legion of Heroes project- I envision it to be an international community of young people who want to accomplish great things, to rise above their circumstances- artists, entrepreneurs, scientists, writers, what have you.

All of this is still really provisional, uncertain. But if you’ve ever felt like you’re destined for something far greater than anything anybody expects of you, talk to me, please. You are not alone.

✱

2023 repost of some 2018 notes:

Hero

When I was a teenager I was very fascinated by the concept of heroes, heroism. My username was “visaisahero”. It had a dual meaning.

Crucible, Burden, Born vs Made, Hero vs NPC, Greeks, Joseph Campbell, Hero’s Journey, Monomyth, Archetypes.