I really appreciate this post, in no small part because we’ve been beating this drum for something like 15 years now and it’s still the most difficult thing for people to understand about our work on heroic behavior.
What I think needs to be emphasized is that we’re not devaluing the idea of goodness or of being nice when we say it doesn’t amount to heroism. We’re just saying it’s not the same thing. Caring for others, looking for opportunities to be good, and acting out of kindness are all great things; they’re one of the building blocks for heroism and so people ought to practice them all the time…even though they aren’t themselves heroic. If people are in the habit of being helpers when there’s little or no risk, they’re much more likely to keep helping when there’s a real cost that might have to be paid. Being good matters in the long run, even if you don’t earn the title of “hero” for volunteering at the animal shelter or helping the elderly neighbors carry their groceries.
Thank you for that post! 🧡 It made me thinking that loosing nuances - as kindness vs heroism- is the poison fruit of the actual polarisation un Occident. The price is allready enormous because how train-to-be heroes could possible traîne if there is only heroism and vilainism?
This is sort of another topic but people we may consider to be unkind or even “bad people” can still act heroically. Routine good actions and prosocial acts are going to prime us to notice, relate, and to act if the moment arises, for sure. It’s just also not exactly a prerequisite
I really appreciate this post, in no small part because we’ve been beating this drum for something like 15 years now and it’s still the most difficult thing for people to understand about our work on heroic behavior.
What I think needs to be emphasized is that we’re not devaluing the idea of goodness or of being nice when we say it doesn’t amount to heroism. We’re just saying it’s not the same thing. Caring for others, looking for opportunities to be good, and acting out of kindness are all great things; they’re one of the building blocks for heroism and so people ought to practice them all the time…even though they aren’t themselves heroic. If people are in the habit of being helpers when there’s little or no risk, they’re much more likely to keep helping when there’s a real cost that might have to be paid. Being good matters in the long run, even if you don’t earn the title of “hero” for volunteering at the animal shelter or helping the elderly neighbors carry their groceries.
Thank you for that post! 🧡 It made me thinking that loosing nuances - as kindness vs heroism- is the poison fruit of the actual polarisation un Occident. The price is allready enormous because how train-to-be heroes could possible traîne if there is only heroism and vilainism?
This is sort of another topic but people we may consider to be unkind or even “bad people” can still act heroically. Routine good actions and prosocial acts are going to prime us to notice, relate, and to act if the moment arises, for sure. It’s just also not exactly a prerequisite
Absolutely. Great comment. No notes.
🙈
This is excellent! Kindness is an excellent base model. I appreciate the outline of the difference between kindness and heroism.