Heroism may be a definitive act as a will to meaning and self-transcendence.

Viktor E. Frankl in "Man's Search For Meaning" elaborates:

"By declaring that man is responsible and must actualise the potential meaning of his life, I wish to stress that the true meaning of life is to be discovered in the world rather than within man or his own psyche, as though it were a closed system. I have termed this constitutive characteristic "the self-transcendence of human existence." It denotes the fact that being human always points, and is directed, to something, or someone, other than oneself--be it a meaning to fulfill or another human being to encounter. The more one forgets himself--by giving himself to a cause to serve or another person to love--the more human he is and the more he actualises himself. What is called self-actualisation is not an attainable aim at all, for the simple reason that the more one would strive for it, the more one would miss it. In other words, self-actualisation is possible only as a side effect of self-transcendence....."

'the man in my life rolled up just in time to wrangle it onto the back lawn while shouting at me to stay inside '

Sounds like a sexist abusive patriarch to me! Typical misogynist patronising and controlling behaviour. I bet he expected some kind of sexual or culinary reward for this unnecessary testosterone fuelled exhibition of physical strength. Some kind of neanderthal this unreconstructed male appears to be.

I bet you'd have much rather he put the kettle on and rang someone to help, or allowed you the dignity of doing it yourself, rather than parading around like some kind of macho baboon on heat.

Are there no limit to what the sexist abusive gender will do for gratification.

And what of the weak-willed enabler Poirot, partner in her own oppression. This kind of support for the patriarchal order has held women back throughout the ages!

As to heroes. I am totally against the idea on OH&S principals.

PS: I'm with Trev, there's a self-serving martyr behind every so called hero. They want fame, fortune, they want to be god, they want to be 'better' than me.

They're smug and they're rubbin my face in it!

You have to wonder what they're compensating for with these acts.

My hero is actually the people who trudge to work in the system every day, and go through hell in fluorescent lighting and audit the OH&S of our office chairs and those that pen all that incomprehensible government regulation that nobody else has the guts to even read let alone pen.

They're warriors, the select few who have not only adapted, but embraced the grand Bureaucracy, who sublimely navigate 250 pages of weasel words to come up with some kind of nonsensical conclusion and adapt it to real life!

My hero is Juliar Gillard for her single handed trashing of labor's credibility.

I wish her well in retaining the Labor leadership and ensuring Abbott's ascension with a whopping majority.

I put it to the court, that it is impossible to be a hero in these times. As instantly as a so called hero emerges, the pay off of establishing a marketable brand kicks into gear.

So much so that I intend to lose myself in the mountains, contract and book deal at the ready as soon as I can be bothered leaving the comfort of the recliner..

Let me take you on a Journey. A roller-coaster journey.

My Story.

My mountaineering hell.

My secret battle with depression.

From Brand-management to Grief porn, there are no heroes any more.

A hero to me would be someone who did something amazing, and fled the media and never accepted any bribe, and put up with their name being slandered in retaliation, and resisted any temptation to correct the record at all.

Anyone got an example?

My hero is Shadow Minister for managing to maintain the puerile epithet "Juliar" despite it being a immature indulgence.

Houellie,

If that's oppression, then please oppress me : )

The exact moment my daughter and I noticed what was causing the noise and saw the garage door whipping around in what turned out to well over 100 km winds - and before we had time to wail and lament - he appeared. I half expected a shaft of ethereal light and a halo to accompany him.

Brilliant!

(We're expecting the same again tonight, wind wise)