Re: Are Astronauts Heroes?
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Athletes are heroes only by cliche; Jesse Owens might be considered a hero. Police officers, firemen, teachers...there may be times when these professions give rise to heroes (Stand and Deliver?) but there's nothing particularly heroic about the day-to-day life of any of them.
I don't know, maybe I'm too stingy with my heroes. I don't see astronauts are particularly heroic; they are just scientists/pilots with an unusually dangerous job.
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We seem to have similar opinions on this subject. I'm a little stingy with my heroes too, although for some reason I do understand poker celebrity worship. Go figure.
Anyway, I agree that there's nothing intrinsically heroic about a profession, but the individuals might be people we absolutely admire. I think DaveT came up with a very good definition, actually. A hero is someone we strive to be but know that we will never attain. That's actually quite good, DaveT. I've only had a couple personal heroes in my life. They were individuals who had an impact on my life who I admired very much, not for their bravery but for their compassion and intelligence.
Oh and welcome to the Lounge, Sholar. Hope to see you posting more often.
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