Madison Walker

English 1 - 3B

Ms. Cook

April 28, 2017

Heroism

Throughout both ancient and modern civilizations, the idea of heroism has created this

achievement of who we are suppose to become. This fundamental idea to society, however, has

not always stayed the same. In ancient Greece, a hero was a mortal who had done something so

far beyond the normal scope of human experience that he left an immortal memory behind him

when he died, and thus received worship like that due the gods...[To] be a hero was to expand

people's sense of what was possible for a human being. (Scott LaBarge). Today, we read the

front cover of newspapers, bold titles of articles, or television shows that mention acts of what

we define as heroism. The popularity and fast dispersion of these stories creates an atmosphere,

the heroism effect, that we can all be heroes. Unfortunately, this has also created atmospheres

like the heroic elect, bystander effect, and the banality of evil (Franco & Zimbardo) .

In 1971, at the University of Stanford, Philip Zimbardo conducted an experiment known

as the Stanford Prison Experiment. Twenty-four young men, who had responded to a newspaper

ad calling for participants in a study, were randomly assigned roles as prisoners or guards in

a simulated jail in Stanford Universitys psychology department. (Franco & Zimbardo).

Everything from the arrests made by real police officers, to the humiliating uniforms, and even to

the randomized strip searches gave the volunteers such a real exposure to emotions that, within a

few hours, their behaviors changed. Students with no prior record of criminal arrests, medical
conditions, or psychological disorders were now using degrading forms of punishment (Philip G.

Zimbardo) . Stanford cut the projected two week experiment after only six days because of the

intensity of the new identities both the guards and prisoners had formed. From this experiment,

Zimbardo observed many characteristics and patterns that were also linked to societys actions

(Franco & Zimbardo) .

The term heroic elect is, according to Franco & Zimbardo, a myth that reinforces two

basic human tendencies. One of the human tendencies includes viewing a person as superhuman

and labeling them as an elite that will never be achievable. The other human tendency is the

bystander effect, or standing there inactive believing that others are responsible for the

helping. During the Stanford Prison Experiment, Zimbardo also saw a demonstration of the

banality of evil that , under certain conditions and social pressures, ordinary people can

commit acts that would otherwise be unthinkable (Franco & Zimbardo) .

The core of heroism revolves around the individuals commitment and willingness to

fight and receive consequences for to a noble purpose (Franco & Zimbardo). In The Banality of

Heroism, Franko stated that four independent dimensions make up his definition of heroism.

First, a hero needs a quest, which could be the saving of someone;s life to the preservation of a

belief of ideal. Secondly, a hero has to sacrifice or risk something personal. This sacrifice could

be their own life, their job, or also their status in life. Third, the act of their heroism could be

defined as either active or passive. Many of us associate heroism with superheroes starring in

action movies, but for some heroic deeds, that is not the case. Officer Nathan Hale was a passive

hero before being executed by the British army. In his last moments, there was nothing he could

do to change his fate, only his attitude. Rather than fearing his death, he submitted to it, saying
the famous line, I regret that I have but one life to give for my country.. This shows that not all

heroic deeds need to be action filled or dramatic to show how good these people were. Last, but

not least, the act of heroism does not need to be over the course of a lifetime or in those ten

seconds of courage moments.

Heroism not just saving others. It is not about being known famously for wearing a red

cape and walking around Manhattan. It is putting yourself at risk for the saving of others. This

idea of heroism, over the course of a few centuries, has been redefined by society and by our

own perspectives. It will continue to change, but for a moment out of the busy lives we have, we

should learn to appreciate how heroism has shaped our society, our planet, and us as individuals.

The idea that we can all be heros is not a cheesy line saying we need to dream like when we were

five. It is a saying that should shape us to build each other up, and in doing so, we build the

whole world up.