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coberst
04-26-2007, 07:07 AM
High School Heroes

I suspect it is in high school that we get a real taste of what the hero system is all about. This is, perhaps, our first taste of what socialization, self-esteem, and heroism really mean to us personally.

Each high school seems to offer some means for becoming a hero. Unfortunately it seems that the hero slots are few and they usually accentuate physical attributes. In one high school football is king of self-esteem, in another it may be basketball, in another it may be baseball, in another etc. There are other hero slots that are filled by those with ‘good looks’, ‘witty personality’, ‘has a car’, etc. Most students must find their own means for becoming heroes because the high school does not provide the means for sufficient hero slots to meet the demand.

Self-esteem is the goal and heroism is the means,; those who do not find a means for establishing self-esteem are in trouble. “The supreme law [of life] is this: the sense of worth of the self not be allowed to be diminished.”--Alfred Adler. In other words, the fundamental law of human life is the urge to self-esteem.

Our self-esteem is derived from symbols. In the ape such matters were biologically cared for but we humans depend upon a symbolic constitution of worth. We are largely artificialized creatures dependant upon our society to provide each of us with a means for establishing our own self-esteem, without which we go crazy.

Our whole life is a continual animation seeking an artificial symbol of self-worth. Often net-worth is our avenue for satisfying this craving for self-worth.

I suspect each of us has a movie-reel constantly running in our head whereby we maintain a real time grade for self-esteem. If that grade goes to ‘F’ such things as the massacre at Virginia Tech happen.

These forum postings are part of my hero activity. What are some of your acts of heroism, and are they keeping your self-esteem grade high enough to satisfy you?

Do you think that your society is providing you with sufficient means for your hero needs?

MidGe
04-26-2007, 07:42 AM
From where I am coming from, hero, or heroism, seem to be a bit different in meaning from what your attributed meaning is.

Enjoy you heroes all the same! /images/graemlins/smile.gif

coberst
04-26-2007, 10:31 AM
MidGe

I think that facing combat is heroism, so is posting my messages here, so is getting good grades in school, so is making money so my family can survive; everything that makes me feel valuable is what I call heroism.

Do you give the title of hero only to comic strip characters, or legendary mythical figures, or to dead soldiers, or perhaps to individuals who blow them self up in what they think to be a great act for their God, or perhaps none of the above?