What makes a person heroic? Is there a hero gene, naturally giving someone the characteristics of a hero? According to one study, the answer might rest in the type of heroism we are addressing.
In a paper published in 2010, researchers reported that people who engaged in one-time acts of bravery (like rushing into a burning building or rescuing someone from the path of an oncoming train) are not necessarily that much different from control groups of non-heroes. In this article, we shall discuss the compelling characteristics of a hero.
By contrast, people who engage in lifelong heroism (such as professional nurses who regularly comfort the sick and dying) do so a number of important personality traits such as empathy, nurturance, and a need to live by a moral code.
The qualities of a hero must arouse admiration or even awe. The word hero derives from the ancient Greek word heros, which held a meaning related to protecting people. These ancient roots still matter today, although the definition of a hero has evolved in modern times.
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What Is A True Hero?
A hero’s actions must, by definition, go beyond what most people would do. Ancient literature called people with supernatural abilities heroes because they were born of a god and a human. Heroes had great strength, like Hercules, or protection from wounds, like Achilles.
Scholars note that these ancient heroic stories featured men who wanted glory. People or societies might have sometimes benefited from their heroic deeds, but that was not what motivated ancient heroes. The modern traits of a hero differ on two points. The modern hero is purely mortal without any notion of divine parentage.
Also, the modern hero must act for the purpose of helping others.
Examples Of A True Hero
It may happen in a moment of crisis, such as when Lenny Skutnik famously jumped into the icy waters of the Potomac River in Washington D.C. and saved a woman. She had been about to drown after escaping an airplane that had crashed into a bridge.
Another type of modern hero accepts ongoing sacrifice and risk in the pursuit of a positive goal. The famous suffragette Alice Paul endured physical attacks and harassment while picketing the White House alongside her allies.
She went to prison for protesting the government. In prison, she organized a hunger strike to continue to promote voting rights for women despite losing her freedom and suffering abuse.
Modern examples like these illustrate that a hero:
- Rises to the occasion
- Disregards personal safety
- Wants to benefit others
- Does not accept being helpless
The Psychology Of Heroism
What types of people grow up to be heroes?
Courage, resilience, and compassion are common traits among valiant actors. Heroes also exhibit a heightened degree of empathy, which makes sense, as they’re highly attuned and motivated by others’ needs, often prioritizing them over their own well-being.
But personal attributes aren’t the only contributing factor when defining heroism. Situational, social, and cultural factors also play a role, and they’re not always purely altruistic.
For example, some would-be heroes may be motivated to go above and beyond when people are watching due to the increased possibility of widespread admiration and praise.
Urgency and association also have a significant impact. For instance, someone who loves their pets like children may find the courage to run into a burning building to save them.
Several studies suggest that individuals who perform incredible feats in service of others slip into a “flow state,” meaning their body and mind are in perfect communion, resulting in intense focus and enhanced ability.
All that said, heroism is a bit of a psychological anomaly and presents on a spectrum — like many personality categories.
Dr. Frank Farley explains the phenomenon by distinguishing between small-h and big-H heroism. Here’s how he defines the two.
- Big-H Heroism: Farley associates big-H heroism with substantial risk, including imprisonment, injury, or even death. In some cases, their valor is monumental enough to change the course of history. People like Rosa Parks, the unknown Tiananmen Square protestor, and Witold Pilecki fall into this category.
- Small-h Heroism: Farley uses Fred Rogers, from Mister Rogers’s Neighborhood, as an exemplar of “everyday heroism.” These folks deeply believe in “helping others, doing good deeds, showing kindness, etc., where serious harm or major consequences are not usually a result.”
How You Can Develop Hero Traits
Is heroism something you’re born with, or can it be developed? In his article, “What Makes a Hero,” Philip Zimbardo argues for the latter and advocates teaching “heroic imagination.” But how?
Research shows that fostering certain behaviors and traits may strengthen “heroic instincts.” Let’s look at what those are.
Respect And Compassion For Strangers
Individuals who are more open to and respectful of strangers tend to be more heroic. Why? Because they’re less likely to be hamstrung by a subconscious indifference to people different from themselves.
Parents should, of course, teach their kids about “stranger danger.” However, developing a reverence for all living things can increase one’s capacity for heroism.
Vigilance And Fortitude
There’s a mental fitness element to heroism.
Specifically, most are hyper-aware of their surroundings, allowing them to act quickly and appropriately. Sometimes it’s instinctual; other times, it’s studied.
Heroes also need emotional fortitude to forge through harrowing situations and circumstances.
Honesty And Confidence
Though some acts of heroism are semi-rooted in the potential for personal adulation, most people who demonstrate impressive bravery are unfailingly honest.
This may be a symptom of true confidence, as people with it have usually dissected themselves, tackled their shadow selves, and developed a healthy sense of humility. When folks have done “the work,” they’re refreshingly honest with themselves and others. Plus, they’re typically more motivated to lend helping hands because they understand the universality of pain and struggle.
Communalism
Heroes value “we” over “me.” So if you want to enhance your “hero quotient,” learning to love the beauty of community — both micro and macro — is vital. People who believe “it takes a village” are usually more willing to stick their necks out for fellow humans.
Characteristics Of A Hero
You won’t find just one answer to the question, “What makes someone a hero?” Psychologists have begun to study the traits that make a hero. A 2009 study initially published in Psychological Reports found that people who exhibited heroic qualities had high confidence in their abilities.
They were generally competent people who believed themselves capable of succeeding even when the odds were against them. You don’t have to spend much time looking at heroes to see that they are complex people.
They share some or all of the following traits frequently used to describe a hero.
1. Idealistic
Heroes draw strength from believing that their ideals have merit. They see their ideals as a force for good in the world. They will stand up for their ideals in the face of criticism, personal loss, and even physical danger.
Idealism generally goes hand in hand with possessing a strong moral code. A deep sense of morality may drive a hero to take action because not taking action would be immoral.
2. Courageous
Of course, you expect a hero to be courageous. Courage is one of the top qualities of a hero that people recognize. This characteristic does not merely mean being fearless.
It more accurately means acting fearless even when being afraid. A courageous person sees that a situation is dangerous or impossible but chooses to overcome fear and try anyway.
Consider the historical example of Harriet Tubman, who made 20 expeditions into the slave-holding Southern United States to smuggle slaves to free areas. Federal law at the time authorized harsh penalties for people aiding escaped slaves. She even had a bounty on her head of $40,000.
She must have indeed feared capture but pursued her goal of freeing slaves anyway. Her idealism that human bondage was immoral motivated her as well.
3. Great Capacity for Empathy
The qualities of a hero include caring about other people. They feel the distress of others and want to help them. This capacity is called empathy. It goes beyond sympathy, which is understanding how others might feel. When you’re empathetic, you directly experience the emotions of those in trouble.
Dr. Georges Bwelle of Cameroon told CNN that he wanted to reduce people’s pain and make them laugh when asked why he provided free medical care in his native country. Dr. Bwelle is an example of an empathetic person who’s unwilling to stand by when others suffer.
4. Humility
When you read heartwarming interviews with real-life heroes, they almost always tell the media that being a hero never crossed their minds. They say something along the lines of “I just did what needed to be done.” This is humility. They do not seek glory or awards, or any compensation.
Even the humble, however, can show great courage. In 2013, 69-year-old William Ayotte of Manitoba, Canada, attacked a polar bear with a shovel because it mauled a woman outside his home.
He bashed the 275-pound animal in the eye with the shovel. The bear dropped the woman and then attacked him. His fast decision to attack saved the woman from certain death. Another neighbor managed to scare the bear away. Ayotte later said that he doesn’t see himself as a hero.
