The Importance Of Heroes

People have been searching for heroes for years. We find heroes in celebrities, storybook characters, and people we meet in our own lives. But these people from stories aren’t real, even celebrities are different than the ideas we have of them in our heads. Still, our search for heroes is essential. Whether real or fictional they inspire us to be our own kind of hero in our day to day lives.

I’m the kind of person who finds heroes in fictional people. It’s very rare that I meet someone that I think I can look up to. Fictional heroes are far more appealing. They generally live in worlds of black and white, but the grey in those worlds provides more color than a rainbow. When it comes to morals, I’m far more forgiving with fictional characters than anyone I know. Fictional characters rarely let me down, and when they do I almost always find a way to rationalize it away as a mistake. We rarely judge characters as we do our friends and family.

There is no shortage of superhero movies and TV shows in the last couple of years. Our society is endlessly looking for heroes. In the ’40s Captain America inspired a country in the wake of a war on freedom. For 60-plus years Superman has been the epitome of morality, in a way that is utterly unbelievable when it comes to humans, when you remember that Superman isn’t human. In the last couple years we have seen more and more flaws in our heroes making them more and more human. Is that better?

There is a good argument for having heroes that are just as flawed as us, heroes that struggle and overcome whatever difficulties they are experiencing. Part of the reason for heros to have flaws is so they have to deal with internal as well as external conflict. There’s even more to overcome when you have to overcome yourself. On the other hand, having heroes that aren’t remotely like me is good, because I sincerely hope I never have to make decisions that affect the world like Superman or Captain America. I like living in fictional worlds where the problem is easily wrapped up. I like reading and immersing myself in worlds that are more incredible and wonderful than my own. It might not be like real life, but I get enough of that from the news.

It’s hard to pick whether I like the morally grey or the morally black and white superhero. In fact, it’s hard to pick my favorite superhero, but they tend to be the confused ones, slightly dark with a heart of gold. I don’t think anybody that commits murder without a second thought counts as a superhero and I know that real life is more complex than stories.

Who is your favorite superhero? Tweet us at @litdarling and tell us.