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Not starting this to insult anyone or get into a great argument. It's something that has popped into my head several times lately and another thread on the forum made me think of it again and I'm interested in others opinions. It wouldn't surprise me if there are many different opinions on this and hopefully we can all respect each other's opinion.

How do you define a hero? What does it take for someone to be a hero in your opinion?

Here's the way I teach it to Li'l Miss VolTexan...

Hero: one who selflessly risks life, liberty, etc. in order to protect the life, liberty, etc. of others.

I'm guessing that your post here was in response to how easily the term hero gets thrown around. Hero-ification is hard to quantify. It really depends on perspective of the viewer.

But for me, a hero isn't 'someone who reads books to kids in the library on weekends'. Sure, that is to be respected, but that person isn't risking much to do the good deed. A sports legend is not a hero (no, not even TAFKAB* after transformation), although some of them walk in the halls of heroes (e.g. Jackie Robinson).

Bubba with a bass boat saving people during Hurricane Harvey was, in my mind, a hero. JJ Watt (although I think it was very cool what he did) raising millions for Harvey relief, not so much. Yes, he leveraged his influence to do a great thing, and he deserves respect for doing it, but what did he risk in doing so? Not much, therefore, not really a hero for this act alone.

Not all heroes are of the same caliber, of course. I consider anyone who swears a blood oath to defend our constitution from all enemies foreign and domestic as a hero (at some level), but those who go the extra mile in the face of immediate danger (MoH recipients, as one example) are certainly a hero of a different class, in my book.

* TAFKAB = The Athlete Formerly Known as Bruce

Vol Texan,

Your definition is precisely right.

And yes, the word "Hero" is devalued by it's often incorrect use.

Sports folk, philanthropists, volunteers who do good for others for something not risky are not heroes. They are to be commended for the good they do, but they're not "Heroes" in the truest sense of the word.

Abraham,

Thanks much, and you reminded me that I did forget forget one well known hero from the list:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FP0-XWHkTdc

This won't be popular, I look at it differently.

I was a soldier for a long time. I didn't do it for country, flag or as a sacrifice. I did it because I wanted to and I was pretty good at it and it beat working on a rig.

I consider the man who gets up every day and goes to work and does it to the best of his ability and takes care of his family the true heroes. The one who takes pride in the quality of his work. The guys struggling in a college degree world with out one but making sure their kids have chances they didn't have. The people who teach their kids to be good citizens.

That mother who skint her kid up for being at the riot in Baltimore is far more of a hero than I'll ever be.

There are heroic acts, usually thrust on us by situations. But to be a hero, I think you have to endure the grind.

My father was one of those. Fortunately I recognized it before he passed and had the opportunity to tell him.

My father is a hero to me. He left my pregnant mother and went off to war in Africa, Italy, France and Germany. I don’t know that he performed any heroic deeds above and beyond his duty as a radio operator for forward observers of an artillery unit, but he did his job and returned home to his wife and daughter, fathering 4 more children.
Was he perfect? No. Did I resent a lot of things he did and said? Yes. Was I the best son? No. But he never stopped loving me and offering advice even when I wasn’t listening.
I lost him way too early in my life at age 25. I’ve missed him more and more as I get older and wished he had been around to see my children grow up.
So as corny as it sounds, that’s my hero definition.

I agree with the much of what has been shared. For me, doing a job you chose does not make a hero. It makes you brave, respected, honored, but not hero. It is the job chosen. When choice (whether life threatening or possibly life changing for your or someone else) is thrust upon you, how do you react to it?

So yes, I think it is overused. But language changes with time. Maybe time for a new word?

Yup. "Hero" and add "miracle" to that as well.

Yeah, as in 147 die in train crash, with 1 survivor...it's a miracle.

Ah, what about those that died...?

No miracle for them, but ssssssshhhhh, let's not mention that particular...