Who are your heroes? And what does that say about you?

[Le Roi]

We tend to admire people who have either the qualities in us that we admire most, or the qualities that we tend to want for ourselves.

My absolute top two long time heroes are Mahatma Gandhi, and Martin Luther King, Jr. My next heroes would be Nelson Mandela and Wael Ghonim (one of the leaders of the movement that overthrew the Egyptian Dictator Mubarak a few months ago). What do they all have in common? They all fought against a tyrant, violent, bloody, overwhelmingly powerful group of people. They all* succeeded not by responding in kind with violence, but by responding with love and non-violence. They refused to use the tools of the oppressor, but instead sought to liberate themselves from the fear that was holding them back and use higher principles despite physical, fatal harm that was possible to them.

Those are the things I aspire to - to use love and a higher set of principles to live my life. To help those that are oppressed not by using violence (though I do sometimes have that urge ), but by using the powerful higher principles that allowed each of my heroes to succeed. I also aspire (and at times do) tend to follow the principles that I believe no matter what the perceived cost may be, because I believe in those principles and a higher way of life.

*I realize Nelson Mandela used violence in his younger days. However, he finally won by following the non-violent path of negotiation even if he didn't officially renounce the possibility of violence. Once in power, however, he sought to reconciliation the nation, not seek out vengeance for his decades in jail

Who are your heroes, and what does it say about you?

[ssandra]

Great question!

Good for me to realize that I don't have many hero's....

People I greatly admire:

Oprah is someone I admire greatly. She makes differences in peoples lives on an individual level as well as a worldwide level.

I really admire Angela for her kind ways, teaching everything to everyone who wants to listen, and her generally generous and gorgeous nature.

I admire you a lot, doing things that before (not even 6 months ago) would have been inconceivable, and looking to push it even further.

I admire everybody who at one point was raped or betrayed in trust in such a harsh way, yet still find it in their heart to love and to trust again.

My husband for always being himself, being COMPLETELY immune to social pressure.

[supertom]

Mahatma Gandhi - In an age of empire and military might, he proved that the powerless had power and that force of arms would not forever prevail against force of spirit - Time Mag Practical Oneness, perhaps the only philosopher who walked his talk.

Abraham Lincoln - Taking the higher moral ground, realizing the cost and that he might forever be remembered as the villain. People forget that he wasn't really liked when he was like the george w. bush of his day even his Gettysburg address was underwhelming at the time.

[Weena]

I have several but Mother Teresa has to be up there. I read this poem of her today and it touched me to my very core, for some reason... Because she gave herself to bettering the life of children and that is a big deal to me.

Ah! I just found the entire version googling it :

People are often unreasonable, illogical and self centered;
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and your God;
It was never between you and them anyway.

[ZephyrusX]

I don't really have any heros, to be honest. I don't like the idea of raising someone onto a pedestal to the point where they are no longer remembered for who they really were. I remember a discussion I had on Louis Riel, who is regarded as a Metis hero by some and regarded as a mad man by others. No one really knows who he was. Everyone is just projecting their own values onto him to the point where he is no longer human. I prefer just to leave his memory in peace and concentrate on my own life.

[cacheborn]

There are many, each one for different qualities.

Gandhi - I do not agree with his whole philosophy but I have tremendous respect for his desire for truth, his tenacity to follow the right path, his shrewdness (he was a lawyer, through and through) and his simplicity.

George Stephenson - The guy had absolutely nothing going in his favor. He used to work in coal mines, no school. He could not even read and write till he was 17. And he became the genius who was almost single handedly responsible for making railways a reality by building the first railway line in UK. Looking at his life, all my problems seem insignificant. Very inspirational.

Tagore - For his vision, his amazing artistic talent and his compassion.

Da vinci - He was super human. How can one man posses so many talents and excel in all of them?

Rosa Parks - for doing what was right.

[Weena]

Originally Posted by cacheborn

Da vinci - He was super human. How can one man posses so many talents and excel in all of them?

He used to hang out at the Akashic library a lot.
I've always been fascinated by that man too, since I was a child...not since "DaVinci Code".

[cacheborn]

Originally Posted by Weena

He used to hang out at the Akashic library a lot.
I've always been fascinated by that man too, since I was a child...not since "DaVinci Code".

If I had a time machine and I could meet someone from the past, he would be on top of my list. He also used to practice polyphasic sleep.

ps : IMHO, da Vinci code was highly overrated.

[Dulma]

This is a little corny But Steve Pavlina is one of my real life role models. He is empowered and authentic in the ways I strive to be.

When I was in middle school, I used to really look up to Alexander Hamilton. He wasn't privileged as a child but always unwavering intellectually curious. He came from humble beginnings in a foreign land to the States and made an impact with the strength of his own will and intelligence. All of these are things I resonated with strongly as a child and still do.

Albus Dumbledore. I don't think anything needs to be explained about this one

My high school AP Government teacher. He's incredibly intellectually curious. He's also aggressive and expresses his opinions unapologetically but he's brilliant enough to get away with it. He follows only his own reason and principle. He is kind and secretly a total softy and yet such a badass. He knows everything, is sincere, and wins the award for the most quality, dedicated teacher I've ever had.

[Clint Cora]

One of the things I like about presenting my motivational keynotes is that I get to talk about my biggest hero in my life which is the late, great Bruce Lee. He impacted me not just because of the obvious martial arts connection but because his influenced helped me deal with my own negativity I had as a youth towards being Asian as a result of racism I experienced at school. Before him, I didn't have an Asian role model to look up to. Then when I first saw him on screen, I, like millions of others, was completely floored. He certainly paved the way for others.

He basically changed my life since his influenced started my journey to physical and mental improvement in a way that I was able to deal with my own tragedies. Bruce Lee is still highly respected and missed after so many years since he's been gone.

[Weena]

I want to mention that I am also very inspired by everyday life people. As Sandra said, not "heroes" but just people I deeply respect/love. They don't need to be famous . One of them, I'm not sure if her name is relevant as she's not "famous", but she amazes me for the following reasons:

I get the feeling Love radiates from her
She is generous (as in, gets involved with charities etc)
She is humble (she has great spiritual knowledge and did not let it mess with her ego as I see way too many so-called spiritual people making it all about themselves rather than about the "message")

There are a couple of other women popping into my head that I find inspiring because they are also very loving and connected to Source.

A real "hero" for me is Archangel Michael, but he's not on this plane. He's my personal hero though!

[ChrisGinsburg]

Hmm, this was a tough one but I think I'm gonna have to go with Dick Cheney.
In all seriousness, I am also most inspired by the most ordinary of people in every day life. Find the man who lives a quiet honest life and you will find wisdom in excess.

[SatvikBeri]

-Paul Graham, for his astonishing intelligence, contribution, and ability to ignore convention. Some people will actively rebel against tradition, but Paul seems to be unaffected by it entirely. Graham wrote the first web application in Lisp. He evaluates situations and makes the best decisions regardless of whether they are conventional or not.

-Bruce Lee, for quotes like this.

-Me, because I've done so many things that I thought were impossible in the last few years. It may sound arrogant, but I'm at the point where I can look at the trajectory of my life and get inspired.

Edit: What it says about me is that I really value intellectual strength-the ability to make decisions and hold thoughts based on your experiences, regardless of tradition or limiting beliefs. In other words, I value the ability to shape my own mind.

[Steel]

Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Lee and Dan Peña because of their insane drive, ambition and resolve to get what they wanted.

Leonardo da Vinci, due to his extreme curiosity and capacity to immerse himself and master any subject.

Theodore Roosevelt, because I ressonate a lot with his "strenuous life" philosophy.

Stephen King, due to his ability to churn out huge ammount of works with a 'devil-may-care' attitude, writing what he wants the way he wants.

What does it say about myself? Well, it probably says I have a huge ego.

[Ne Cede Malis]

I don't really have heroes. One person's work that I really like is Douglas Adams - the author of Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy. I know your referring to personal qualities more, and I didn't know the guy - but I think Hitch Hikers is a great piece of work.

I discovered it in the late 1970s when it was just a radio show on BBC Radio 4 - long before it had the following it has today. I relate to it so much more now - not just the humour.

What does it say about me? Well, I'm not an atheist, as Douglas was - but maybe Hitch Hikers teaches us all not to take life, ourselves and each other so seriously.

I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the chemist, but that's just peanuts to space - listen ...

[Cado]

Tim Ferriss. The man goes for what he's after without apology or compromise and time and time again he succeeds at getting results most would consider impossible. His discipline is almost a form of brilliant madness and it's the kind of thing I aspire to.

V from V for Vendetta-the graphic novel, not the movie-is also a character I really admire. His plans are intricate and far-reaching; he knows the machinations of the system better than those within it do and one by one he makes the dominoes fall until the entire social order collapses and humanity is forced to begin anew, thus razing the field so new crops can grow. Not only that, his vengeance against those who wronged him is swift and masterful, and though he died before the end I can only imagine he was smiling behind that mask. To think he did it with elegance and class to boot, he really is the perfect anti-hero; an Edmond Dantes for the modern era.

Helen Keller is pretty bloody inspirational. To see what she was capable of doing under those circumstances reminds me that there's absolutely no excuse for falling short of my potential and that indeed it's possible to live fully no matter what you're up against.

[cacheborn]

Originally Posted by Cado

Tim Ferriss. The man goes for what he's after without apology or compromise and time and time again he succeeds at getting results most would consider impossible. His discipline is almost a form of brilliant madness and it's the kind of thing I aspire to.

V from V for Vendetta, the graphic novel-not the movie, is also a character I really admire. His plans are intricate and far-reaching; he knows the machinations of the system better than those within it do and one by one he makes the dominoes fall until the entire social order collapses and humanity is forced to begin anew, thus razing the field so new crops can grow. Not only that, his vengeance against those who wronged him is swift and masterful, and though he died before the end I can only imagine he was smiling behind that mask. To think he did it with elegance and class to boot, he really is the perfect anti-hero; an Edmond Dantes for the modern era.

Helen Keller is pretty bloody inspirational. To see what she was capable of doing under those circumstances reminds me that there's absolutely no excuse for falling short of my potential and that indeed it's possible to live fully no matter what you're up against.

Agree about Tim and Helen Keller. Watching Tim give a talk is very inspiring. And Helen feels as if she is born with a different kind of setup than the rest of us. Amazing perseverance, tenacity, kindness, love.

Have not read V for Vendetta.

[Le Roi]

Originally Posted by cacheborn

Have not read V for Vendetta.

V for Vendetta is a also movie, it's totally awesome. It's one of the very few movies I've bought the DVD for it. It was also an inspiration for the revolution in Egypt, as the youth leaders sought to create a leader-less revolution that was similar to that in the movie.

[180]

This is kind of weird, but I like Sean connerys' personas.

Not him as he is, but his roles in movies and even when he's in parody.

I love him in "The Rock", Bond Movies, and the SNL skits.

HILARIOUS I was watching them yesterday. YouTube - ‪SNL- Celebrity Jeopardy (Tom Hanks, Kathie Lee Gifford, Sean Connery)‬‏

[Somnium Dico]

Originally Posted by 180

This is kind of weird, but I like Sean connerys' personas.

Not him as he is, but his roles in movies and even when he's in parody.

I love him in "The Rock", Bond Movies, and the SNL skits.

Totally agree. One can never forget the immortal line "Your best? Losers 'tried their best.' Winners go home and **** the prom queen."

Anyways, my heroes include...

Han Solo. The man got involved with a galactic war just to help his friends out. That's dedication.

Dick Valentine, aka Tyler Spence, lead singer for Electric Six, The Wild Bunch, and Evil Cowards. It's hard to explain why, but watch him at a concert and try NOT to be inspired. The man radiates charisma.

Mark Zuckerberg. A bit of an ******* from what I hear, but his simple idea for a multi-college face book has expanded into THE Facebook, helping to connect the world and bring us into a new era of digital communication.

[Cado]

Originally Posted by Le Roi

V for Vendetta is a also movie, it's totally awesome. It's one of the very few movies I've bought the DVD for it. It was also an inspiration for the revolution in Egypt, as the youth leaders sought to create a leader-less revolution that was similar to that in the movie.

Aye, and I like the movie as well. The reason I specifically mentioned the graphic novel is that the two stories are so different that the protagonist is basically a different character in each of them, and though I still love V's portrayal in the movie (Hugo Weaving was perfect casting) I'd say he's a bit watered down. The Wachoskis made him heroic whereas the graphic novel was a lot more ambiguous and the ambiguity makes him-and the whole rest of the story-a lot more compelling, in my opinion.

[metamorph]

When I was a kid, MacGywer was my role model

Now, it is a few people I came across in my life, who had a major impact on my life [none of them famous].

[KaleidoskopicVision]

Alex Grey, the visionary artist who bases his works off of psychedelic and transdimensional experiences.



I try really hard not to compare my art to his because it makes me feel so unskilled, like a little sprouting acorn staring up at a big oak tree.

I think the biggest impact his work had on me was when I realized how accurately he depicted the psychedelic experience, meaning that it is not delusional or hallucinatory and is something all humans experience while tripping, potentially suggesting a whole new dimension of experience which humanity has been neglecting to explore. I've always believed that they're an integral part of life and that incorporating them into society could be a very healing and evolutionarily significant practice.

Sasha Shulgin is another one of my heroes, he synthesized hundreds of different psychedelic analogues of the tryptamine and phenylthylamine families of organic alkalides. He's an alchemical genius who despite heavy opposition to his work by the DEA and the US government continues to find new avenues for the exploration of altered states of consciousness via psychedelics. He wrote two books that are basically cookbooks for many of his creations, which the DEA holds as evidence that he is nothing more than a common criminal and drug peddler. I hold it as evidence that he's a brilliant pioneer of consciousness hell bent on pursuing the truth no matter what the forces of fear and security do.

Robert Monroe was one of the first people who wrote extensively and in a Westernized context on astral projection. He not only developed methods which his students could utilize to also willingly have out of body experiences, he wrote amazingly detailed accounts of the astral realm.

So what do my heroes say about me?

[LostMyMap]

Fictional:

• Indiana Jones
• Aragorn
• Obi-Wan

The usual I guess.

Real:

In the Joplin tornado, Pres. Obama told the story of the man at Pizza Hut who herded people into the cooler, and gave his life trying to hold the door closed. There was also a story of the man at Home Depot who herded people in the store to safety but died himself. And a man who laid on top of his wife in a bath tub while their house was torn apart, and gave his life to protect her.

Pretty much any fireman; they run into burning buildings when the rest of us are running out.

Anyone who chose to put on a military uniform and serve, no matter what the cost.

People like Bode Miller or Robert Downey Jr. who show that no matter how messed up things get, you can always come back and be a winner.

What does it say about me? IDK. You analyze it if you want.

[Anthoneee]

Me! Anthoneee says both awesome, and yet horrible things to me, but I love him anyway.

[Cado]

As it's been mentioned in this thread, here's one of my favorite parts of the film. (No spoilers for those who haven't seen it)

YouTube - ‪bombastic concert - V for Vendetta‬‏

[Cado]

I think I have a new hero. Sam Whittlemore, ie #1 on this list: 6 Old People Who Could Kick Your Ass | Cracked.com

[Smellyorangutan]

Heroes? I don't know.

Maybe Walt Disney...Hugh Hefner...Blackbeard...

These "spiritual" people like Gandhi and Mother Teresa put me to sleep.