Selflessness: What Makes A Hero

Everyone has heard of superheroes such as Superman, Batman, and Wonderwoman at least once in their childhood. Children think that since they possess superpowers and incredible gadgets, like being able to fly and turn invisible, that makes them a superhero. Comparatively, some people in those stories have similar powers, but use them for evil instead. Today, however, there are many heroes that do not have any special powers to help them achieve heroism. Some of these heroes are displayed by Philip Zimbardo and CNN. Although these heroes are extremely unique from one another, they all seem to have a couple of similar qualities that make up their character. Heroism is achieved through the use of selflessness and knowledge of right versus wrong

A presentation written by Zimbardo and titled What Makes a Hero states, “Seventy-two percent report helping another person in a dangerous emergency. Sixteen percent report whistle blowing on an injustice. Six percent report sacrificing for a non-relative or stranger. Fifteen percent report defying an unjust authority” (4). Zimbardo shows statistics done from a report that support the fact that the majority of heroes are selfless. In this report, it is shown that they put others before themselves because they helped in a dangerous situation or sacrificed something. Zimbardo adds this in his presentation to show the different ways in which one can be a hero. In conclusion, all of these people had one thing in a

Selflessness causes people to look at others and want to help them, no matter what it takes. This trait allows heroes to help others who are in trouble or going through rough times. Additionally, the knowledge of right versus wrong causes people to acknowledge a situation, and decide if it is right to step in and help. Those who want to do the right thing are more likely to stand up for a victim in a dangerous situation. These attributes help heroes not only think heroically, but act heroically. Although there are many other qualities that could contribute to a hero, these are two of the most important. Without these two traits, heroes would probably look at a situation and ignore it. They would no longer be considered heroes. Heroes are necessary to keep the world happy and at peace. Heroes possess the traits mentioned throughout the essay, including selflessness and the knowledge of right versus wrong, which encourage them to act