Who Is A Hero Essay, Research Paper

Who Is A Hero?

Who is a hero? What are the qualities of a hero? Are there any heroes left? These

questions are actually the basis for this essay. Even though most of them can be answered by

you, the reader, I shall try to incorporate fact and personal opinion in order to give a

better understanding of the qualities a hero possesses. Now let s talk about who is a hero. In my

opinion, a hero is a person, who possesses three main qualities: compassion, courage, and

intelligence.

Compassion, a word with only one definition, but so much meaning. The quality, which

makes a hero who he is. It s not just courage and intelligence that define a hero, but also

compassion. Compassion for life a trait that is very important, a trait that stands out the most.

First, let me give you the meaning of this word: sympathetic feeling. Sympathy and compassion

are the same things, and both of these should not just exist in a hero, but also in every one of us.

A hero possess this quality as well as many others, but it is what makes him human, or should I

even say, humane. This quality, even though not as important as the other two, makes up a hero s

heart and soul, his inner strength, and that is the most important strength of all.

Brave, fearless, heroic, bold all synonyms that describe a hero. All these could just be

summarized into one quality: courage. Courageous isn t an adjective that describes only the

person who jumps in front of a bullet. Yes, that is an example of courage, but an even more vivid

example would be the courage that it takes to stand alone, when you are outnumbered ,or

outvoted. That is, indeed, true courage. Only a hero can be brave and courageous enough to

stand alone when he is completely outvoted and outnumbered. A wonderful example of this

quality would be in the play Twelve Angry Men when juror number eight has the courage to

stand alone when he is outvoted 11-1. This does not stop him, and he keeps trying, until he

reverses the vote 11-1 in his favor. Even though I do not consider this trait to be most important,

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I do believe that it is one of the two most important qualities that make a hero. Finally, the last

and most important quality: intelligence.

One of the main qualities, intelligence, is the most important one. A hero can not be a

person, who has no clue of what is happening around him. In order to know what is going on, he

has to be intelligent. Intelligence and observation are the two main things that make the

distinction between a hero and a regular person. In order for someone to be called a hero, that

person must be intelligent enough to know when to make a move and whether it is the right one

to make. This, however is not the only quality a hero must posses. This quality, however, could

never exist without courage, which always works in conjunction with intelligence.

I don t believe there are any heroes left, but I never said there could never be any. Maybe

there will be, one day, the guardian of justice, maybe there won t, but one thing I know for sure

is the fact that we could strive to becoming a hero. Remember, heroes exist in every one of us,

we just have to find the key, which unlocks the chains that hold it deep inside every one of us.