A Look at Heroes | Teen Ink

A Look at Heroes

April 30, 2012
By Shining.With.Crystal.Clarity SILVER, Bristol, Virginia
Shining.With.Crystal.Clarity SILVER, Bristol, Virginia
6 articles 0 photos 28 comments

Favorite Quote:
"The Doctor talks to himself sometimes, because he's the only one who knows what he's talking about!"
~Sarah Jane Smith


"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen..."
~Hebrews 11:1

"Aim small, miss small."


Heroes. Why do we have heroes? Because we need people to look up to. People who communicate a sense of right and wrong that seems... right.

Nowadays, teenagers have many heroes. We have heroes all the way from Justin Beiber to Abraham Lincoln.

What makes a hero a hero? Is it their clothes, their personality, their character, their attitude, their worldview, their voice, or their looks?

No one really considers another person that weird, nowadays, when their hero is Lady Gaga.

Then why is it weird for my hero to be J. Gresham Machen? (Presbyterian minister from the 20th century.) Robert E. Lee? My dad, who is “just” a pastor? My mom, who is raising me and my five siblings the very best she can?

It used to be shocking if a young person held someone besides Saint Paul as their hero and role model. Now it’s weird if my hero is Saint Paul.

What happened?

Did we just become less stiff and self-righteous? Did we lose our sense of right and wrong? Are we just... more diversified?

Don’t get me wrong; I’m not saying we should go back to having only Saint Paul and Jesus as our role models. While they should be, I think there’s plenty of room for other people we admire.

Ah. There we are! Admire. Why do we admire people? Let me define “admire”.

Admire: Esteem, approve of, respect, think highly of, rate highly, hold in high regard, applaud, praise, commend, acclaim.

Usually, when you admire somebody, that means you would like to be like them. Not always, but many times, that’s the way it is.

Then why is it weird for me to want to be like Saint Paul, a very good man, and it’s perfectly normal for someone else to want to be like Brittany Spears? (Though I sincerely hope there aren’t many of those out there who would wish to be like her.)

This isn’t an article bashing Brittany Spears, Lady Gaga, or anyone like that, whatever my opinions on them may be.

This article just arouses the question: Why are your heroes your heroes?


The author's comments:
I once sat down to think on why I admire people...

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This article has 4 comments.


Honour SILVER said...
on Jan. 4 2013 at 1:46 pm
Honour SILVER, New London, Connecticut
9 articles 0 photos 181 comments

Favorite Quote:
Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. ~John 15:13

"Give me liberty or give me death!" ~Patrick Henry

Be brave and steadfast; have no fear or dread of them, for it is the Lord, your God, who marches with you; he will never fail you or forsake you. ~ Deuteronomy 31:6

"I prefer dangerous freedom over peaceful slavery" ~ Thomas Jefferson

Good Job, Bekah.  This provides a good prespective and makes a good pint without being tediously long and philisophical.       Um I don't think you'd usaully use paraenthese in stories and such.  I could be wrong though I think that one of your setences could be written as     'Then why is it weird for my hero to be J. Gresham Machen, a Prebyterian minister fomr the 20th centeruy'   Also I'd try using a more descriptive word than weird.  Now a days 'weird' is over used.   Well that's all I have to say, over all good job.   GOD bless you and your family, Bekah.

ccascq BRONZE said...
on Aug. 10 2012 at 11:03 pm
ccascq BRONZE, Jacksonville, Florida
3 articles 10 photos 22 comments
Very Interesting! Great Information! Love It Thanks!

ccascq BRONZE said...
on Aug. 10 2012 at 11:03 pm
ccascq BRONZE, Jacksonville, Florida
3 articles 10 photos 22 comments
Very Interesting! Great Information! Love It Thanks!

on May. 16 2012 at 12:36 pm
Shining.With.Crystal.Clarity SILVER, Bristol, Virginia
6 articles 0 photos 28 comments

Favorite Quote:
"The Doctor talks to himself sometimes, because he's the only one who knows what he's talking about!"
~Sarah Jane Smith


"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen..."
~Hebrews 11:1

"Aim small, miss small."

Hey guys! Some comments would be great. I'm not an attention hog; I just would really like some feedback on my writing, since that's kinda why I joined up with Teen Ink. =)