SUPER HEROES AMONG US
( continued from page 7 ) more unrestrained definitions are hiding in plain sight , simply an internet search away . A somewhat slippery slope exists in the Oxford Languages definition , “ A person who is admired or idealized for courage , outstanding achievements or noble qualities .” Idealized implies the application of traits and features that may be grounded only in fiction and not in fact . Idealized , heroes become whom we want them to be , figures who demonstrate only what is appealing .
Idealizing , and by extension idolizing , our heroes banishes us to extreme devotion and worship of a false conception . Alex Watt of The New Yorker lays this bare , presumably unintentionally , in his 2020 humor piece about meeting your heroes and the inevitable letdown that ensues . Mr . Watt proffers , in the first sentence , the old saying “ Never meet your heroes ,” which is reasonably sage advice . Mr . Watt gets no further than sentence two before recounting , “ I ’ ve met all of my idols , and I ’ ve been disappointed by every single one .” Mr . Watt conflates hero and idol , in consecutive sentences , and so , too , do many as a matter of instinct . In idolizing heroes , their acts of bravery , intelligence or honesty are hijacked by the creation of an assumed persona of unattainable greatness . In other words , we sell ourselves short in idealizing our heroes as their greatness becomes unattainable for the less-than-ideal self . Acknowledging the imperfect humanity of our heroes , and separating that from their great acts and contributions , relieves the admirer of the need to achieve perfection . Our heroes aren ’ t better than us , they are just a little ahead of the curve .
History is full of idealized figures who are held up as heroes but who can disappoint when examined more closely . John F . Kennedy reigned over an American Camelot , but is known for his adulterous ways kept secret by cozy press relations . Mahatma Gandhi endeavored for Indian Independence but harbored rather unsavory attitudes toward women . Aung San Suu Kyi , a Nobel Peace Prize Winner , was heavily criticized for her lack of response to Myanmar ’ s Rohingya Muslim persecution and refugee crisis . The persona of Thomas Jefferson , a hero of American political thought , is dealing with a posthumous reckoning not only of his participation in slavery but also his relationship with one of his slaves , Sally Hemings . The unsavory details in otherwise extraordinary lives of these well-known figures can elicit strong feelings , not the least of which is surprise . There should be no surprise , no shock , and no awe . New York Times correspondent Peter Baker , reviewing Geoffrey Wheatcroft ’ s new book on Winston Churchill , succinctly clarifies the disconnect among historical figures , public personae and personal failings . He writes , “ None of our historical idols were as unvarnished as the memorials we build to them .”
The instinctual tendency to idealize heroes is not likely to evaporate anytime soon . Certainly humans are prone to make the same mistakes over and over , all the more when the mistake is achieved with such cognitive ease . Acknowledging this tendency offers an opportunity to , at the most , disabuse oneself of the element of surprise in the discovery of the fallibility of a hero . Approaching any hero , there must be acceptance that what is found will be imperfect .
A good friend , better read than I , generously reminded me of the words of fellow Kentuckian Robert Penn Warren in All the Kings Men after a recent campfire discussion about heroism : “ And what we students of history always learn is that the human being is a very complicated contraption and that they are not good or bad but are good and bad and the good comes out of the bad and the bad out of the good , and the devil take the hindmost .” Mr . Warren eloquently presents the dark and light that is human nature , the nature to which every hero is subject , even Ferris Bueller . Dr . Kolter is a practicing internist with Baptist Health .
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