Hero

It was another one of those dinners after sunday basketball. Time to pay for the dinner, usually, someone will pay the full amount first for everyone (good will) and then collect the balance from individuals, or collect from everyone first then pay..whatever.

As usual, I am not the one doing it, and as usual my friend will ask me to start doing the "dirty job" of counting and asking for money.

It's never easy to convince a guy who hates to work to do a job like this, then A said "don't you want to be a hero?"

I replied almost immediately and firmly "Why be a hero?" they were a little shocked by this strong change in tone from the lazy man's tone.

Hero. How would most people define it?

Someone with superior ability? Like superman? Spiderman?
Someone doing something to benefit many people? Like Newton discovering gravity?
Someone with unique vision to bring a country with third world to first world?
Someone who sacrifice his life for a greater cause without any gain?

I admit, when I am young, i want to be a hero too. everybody does. superman, astronaut, policeman, scientist etc etc.

Only when i was older, do I understand what it takes to be a hero. and thanks, i do not want to be one.

For me, a hero is sacrificing his life (must be) for a greater cause without any gain.

Why?

a "real" hero only exists in the movies. In real life, it's hard to distinguish if someone doing something in the name of greater good is not trying to get some credits. and usually, the greater the good, the bigger the conspiracy.

What newton did was just doing what he likes to do, science. it just so happens that what he likes to do also contributes to mankind. his first motive is just "hey, apple falling is interesting, i want to find out more on why it happens". it's the same as a kid saying "not going to school without being find out by my mum and teacher is cool, i will find out more on how to do that"

It just so happens what the kid is thinking of doing does not contribute to mankind like gravity.

thus to me, Newton is not a hero. although i do appreciate that he did find out about gravity. He did become wealthy i suppose so...you know.

Politicians, who always like to give a lot of credits to themselves are certainly not heros. Be it you are able to drive a country to fight with their lifes in the war or bringing a 3rd world country to the first. the reason is simple, he could be doing it with a motive for wealth, power, or getting his face printed on his countries' currency.

have you seen any successful politician that is not rich? i doubt so. (I am not gonna buy the story i heard about the china premier only earns 3000RMB/month) Unless he somehow is able to let no one ever finds out about what he "contribute", then i would say he really do it for the sake of your country without any gain. he can claim he did not want people to find out what he did for the country, but that could be because he WANTS TO BE KNOWN as the great guy who do not ask for anything return for the great things he had done. On the contrary, if he really manage to be the invisible santa claus, then no one will ever know right?

even if he is the only one who knows about his help/contribution/donation, if its within his ability, he's not a hero too. a billionaire donating a hundred thousand to charity is nothing, its within his ability. morever, it IS HUMAN nature to help others WITHIN your ability. Even for a selfish guy like me, i can spare my old clothes to the poor, because thats WITHIN my ability and it doesn't hurt. however, i do appreciate people who DO help/contribute/donate within their abilities, because there are rich people who do not donate a cent.

So, that means a real hero is either some guy who contributes whatever he does BEYOND his ability, and never ever lets people find out

OR

People only finds out after his death, either he died on the spot with witnesses (like losing his life while saving a drowning kid) or after years have passed, thereby not allowing him to gain any fame, wealth or any other materialistic gains

If the above two definitions are the only two definitions i can accept for a hero, i will never want to be one.

Call me selfish (thanks), but as you can see, most of the time, "beyond one's ability" usually means death, or getting into a dire straits.

To be a hero....too much for me. I am just an ordinary guy with ordinary rationals. although i can foresee donating/helping others within my abilities when i am more well to do (no, that's not a hero), dont expect me to jeopardize more than 5% of my possesions/ability to help others. call me selfish (thanks again) but i am sure i am better than people who donate to have their name read out over TV shows, helping others to be able to climb up the political ladder etc.

Let's just leave the word "hero" in the movies...before it gets ugly.