// I could have looked him up of course, but I have no problem in admitting to not knowing someone or something. //

They do say ignorance is bliss. I don't mind confessing to ignorance but not knowing stuff bothers me, so I always make an effort to redress my ignorance as soon as possible after confession. What is the value of confession if you don't seek repentance? But maybe you're happier not learning new things.

The day I lose my joy of learning new things is the day I sever my femoral artery.

//There is nothing about people that is heroic//

That is your opinion. The Oxford Dictionary has this as one of the definitions of 'hero'.

hero: A person, typically a man, who is admired for their courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.

Which suggests that only people are capable of being heroic. Which is at direct odds with your suggestion that people are incapable of heroism. I think I'm going to side with the Oxford lexicographers on this one.

//My candidate is Diogenes, the Greek.//

Diogenes of Sinope? An admirable fellow. I really like Diogenes, but not as much as I admire some other philosophers.

//As a tip, you are referring to role models.

The feckless media abuse words like 'hero'.//

No, I am referring to heroes. I am not the media, I have all my feckles fully intact, and I wouldn't have chosen the word 'hero' if it wasn't what I meant.

//Unless someone does something pretty damn amazing and in the process puts their own life in jeopardy//

hero: A person, typically a man, who is admired for their courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.

Nope, nothing in their about risking life and limb. Call me strange but I think I'll take the opinions of the Oxford lexicographers over one dumb hippie's.

//I don't think anyone should worship or idolise anyone else.//

You should try and persuade runner of that.

Conservative H,

I'm pleased to see we agree on this.

Father Chris Riley began his work for youth in Sydney.
He founded and developed Youth Off the Streets (YOTS).
A member of the Salesians of Don Bosch,
an Italian founded religious order devoted to the care
of youth. Chris Riley worked for many years as a school
teacher and then as principal of Boy's Town at Engadine
in southern Sydney with difficult youngsters sent there
by the courts. In 1991 he left Engadine for Kings Cross
to begin working full time on the streets with
chronically homeless young people.

YOTS grew out of this and has adopted innovative approaches
to the abused and traumatised girls and boys with whom
it deals through street-based programs and drug and alcohol
rehabilitation in rural settings. After the tsunami in Aceh,
despite enormous difficulties involved in working in a
conservative Muslim region, Father Riley managed to set up
the first shelter for children orphaned by the disaster.

While he is still the inspiration and CEO of YOTS, the
organisation is non-sectarian and open to all-comers.

To me Father Chris Riley is a hero!
He represents humanity (and Catholicism) at its best.

From the online Cambridge dictionary: Hero - a person who is admired for having done something very brave or having achieved something great.

Putting one's life at risk to help another is a form of bravery, is it not Tony?

I have never had a hero.

I have modelled my driving & sailing on people I admired very much, but would never consider them heroes.

I know many who served Oz in war became heroes, but I have not known them.

When it comes to social workers, altruism is something I have been unable to find. Most I have found are more interested in joining a mutual admiration society, & become quite snaky if not admired by all. Often it is their need to be needed the lower echelon of social workers are fulfilling, by projecting their need onto others, not some higher calling.

The huge amount of money some accept for their efforts make it hard to believe many are doing anything but earning a living, & maximising their own incomes while doing it.

Am I becoming a cynic? If so I blame it on OLO.

Another thing that gives me the pip is people (by no stretch of the imagination heroes) who are given gongs on Australia Day and similar occasions. Most of them have never been heard of, and most of them have been very well paid for whatever it is they supposed to have done.

It's jolly good that knighthoods were dropped here (save for Abbotts seemingly deliberate attempt to get up our noses with Cosgrove and the RAAF bloke). I hope Abbott took notice of uproar he caused; if hasn't, then we can look forward to people being knighted for winning peeing competitions as they are in the U.K. There is no place for heroes and knights in a modern democracy.