Heroes are dangerous things. Bigger than life, highly exaggerated and always positioned in the most favorable light, a hero is a beautiful lie.
Did George Washington really chop down a cherry tree and then confess to his father? Could Paul Bunyan really do the work of 50 men in a day? Does billionaire Bruce Wayne really risk his life to help the less fortunate around him?
We have historic heroes, folk heroes and comic book heroes. We have heroes in books and songs and movies and sport. We have heroes of morality, leadership, kindness and excellence. And nothing is so devastating to our sense of wellbeing as is a badly fallen hero. Yes, heroes are dangerous things to have.
The only thing more dangerous is not to have them.
Heroes raise the bar we jump and hold high the standards we live by. They are ever-present tattoos on our psyche, the embodiment of all we are striving to be.
We create our heroes from our hopes and dreams. And then they attempt to create us in their own image.
It's funny when you think about it: we tell the lie of George Washington and the cherry tree to impress on our children the importance of honesty. We boast of the exploits of Paul Bunyan to communicate the beauty of productivity and the power of a work ethic. And really, wouldn't the world be a better place if all its billionaires were as selfless as Bruce Wayne?
But as the romantic and misty-eyed Baby Boomers shuffle off the American stage, they're being replaced by a clear-eyed generation who believes in “keepin' it real,” saying always, “Take a good look, dog, “cause you ain't all a' that.”
So now we put our politicians under a microscope because we won't accept less than the bitter truth. Could JFK have survived the scrutiny we imposed on poor Bill Clinton? Television's idyllic John-Boy Walton has been replaced by the dysfunctional Malcolm in the Middle. And Sunday night's Wonderful World of Disney has been replaced by a reality show.
In our rejection of artificiality and hype, are we killing off all our heroes?
Two hundred ninety-nine years ago, Andrew Fletcher understood the transforming power of heroes. In his 1704 speech from the floor of Scottish Parliament, he pleaded for the creation of myths and legends to inspire the Scottish people, saying, “If a man were permitted to make all the ballads, he need not care who should make the laws. Ancient legislators knew they could not reform the manners of a city without the help of a songwriter and a poet.“
Yes, every hero is a beautiful lie.
But then so is every dream.
Until it becomes reality.
Roy H. Williams
PS – NEW BOOK – Bringing Out the Best in Others by Dr. Thomas Connellan identifies the 3 Keys that all great leaders have in common. Interesting stuff. – Roy H. Williams