Just wondering which moral attributes people use to define heroism.

This rather lengthy article got me pondering the question.http://www.abc.net.au/religion/articles/2012/06/06/3519389.htm Susan Neiman makes use of two different concepts to explore heroism - one she bases on the Achilles - and one on Odysseus. I think it's worth reading the article in order to understand her orientation....are passion and valour the only pertinent definitives?

My answers Poirot are not from the Greek classics.
And while strongly felt, sadly not Representative of today.
The people who wrote the American constitution.
The miners of the Eureka Stockade.
Those who before the blood began flowing started the French revolution.
True followers of Christianity , who truly would harm no other.
Any one who asks why we let humans suffer so much for whole lifetimes and generations of them , without trying for better.

Poirot, thanks for the link. A very interesting read including most of the comments. Not sure who my heroes are, the closest I can come are those who seem to have had the courage to confront the contradictions of life. Writers who I've connected with and who have helped shape some of my own thinking.

I want to think about that some more.

R0bert

Most people when acting selflessly still have self-interest, to a greater or lesser extent, as motivation – lose that vestige and you have the basis for true heroism…

Mind you, if doing this kills you, you can't act heroically a second time.

Dear Poirot,

There are many people that I have admired.
People like - Fred Hollows, the volunteers
of St. Vinnies. and the extra-ordinary range
of work that they do. The Wiradjuri woman from
Cowra - Colleen Shirley Smith, known to everyone
as "Mum Shirl" - who worked with Father Ted Kennedy
in Redfern caring for dispossed urban Aborigines.
And the list goes on. There are many people -
who one reads about - and who we end up admiring -
be they teachers who've had
an impact on us, or authors, and so on.

To me real heroes are - people who go above and
beyond the call of duty - who give from their hearts -
because they want to make a difference.
And they are ones who have an effect on our lives.

However to me personally - I guess my real hero
I'd have to say (corny as it may sound)
is my mother. I am grateful for the peace I am starting to
find in my mother's presence. We can be open now I hope
about needing each other. She needs a daughter and I need a
mum. I can take pleasure in telling her of my affection,
I know this time she won't be counting.

My mother has become my biggest booster, I hers.
I marvel at her capability - with which she has organised
her life. Will you look at my mother, I think.
What a beautiful woman.
What a knockout!

Then of course there's my husband. I am grateful that we
managed to find each other. Every relationship
is a gift. There are some great gifts that I've been
given by each of the people I have encountered on my
journey through life. They've helped shape me into the
person I have become - and still hope to be. I've met some
amazing souls along life's journey thus far - and I've been
incredibly lucky. Everything has its story - and everything
is relative, and eveyone has obstacles to overcome. They
are our greatest teachers.

Well just quickly in the middle of a raging storm in south-west WA. Up at my daughters when the garage door decided to detach and flap around against the car in around 100 km winds.....and the man in my life rolled up just in time to wrangle it onto the back lawn while shouting at me to stay inside - "What a hero!". Us women would have been helpless to do anything if he hadn't have shown up when he did.

Will get a little more philosophical about heroism next post.