I’ll be interested to hear more—or read more or talk with you more—about the difference between positive character traits and heroic behavior. I tend to think this is one of the most often misunderstood parts of our work in teaching heroism: some people believe we’re suggesting that being helpful or being nice *is* heroic and other people believe we’re suggesting that being helpful or being nice *isn’t* heroic and thus praiseworthy. For me at least, positive character traits are linked to heroism insofar as they are the building blocks of heroic behavior. They’re necessary (and thus very good and we strongly encourage developing them) but not sufficient.
Well, Team sports teach us a lot about heroism specially when we see that the members of a certain team are working harmonically towards victory, individual sports teach us a lot about the pursuit of perfection and the mastery of one self's body and mind, but I don't think that on themselves sportsmen and women are a good example, in order to be called heroes, they ought to have a bigger purpose than the sport itself. why? because sometimes being good at something doesn't mean being a good person in general. and this concept doesn't apply only to the sporting area.
I'll tell a personal example of mine. As a Brazilian, I was taught since an early age about soccer, and I watched Brazil's team being champion in the 2002 world cup and it was nice to see that team playing in the world cups, They were our best and our heroes, humble, simple, people that represented our people, our challenges and creativity, they recognized where they came from and lift the people around them, before being soccer players, they represented our spirit as a nation and what we had in our hearts. They were truly heroes.
Now fast forward to 2025, even though Brazil is still a fan of soccer nation, its more and more common to see people that doesn't like it, because it seems to me that our players don't represent us anymore. Some of them are excellent player, still, they don't care about the people nor demonstrate gratitude, sometimes they seem self centered, egotistical people that look to their own people with despise, nor they seem to be playing with a team, but only to themselves. Oh boy, you wouldn't want to be around them if a fire started in a building, they'd rather save their careers than save someone in need.
That is why it's not only about being good at sports, its about representing something, a soccer team used to represent their neighborhoods, the efforts of the families, the strength of community, the sweat and the service, it was way beyond sports, it was uplifting, and I don't know about other places in the world, but here, in Brazil, it is what needs to be restored.
That’s a really good point, Ramon. The Brazilian team from an outside perspective seem less proud to be part of a team and more proud of themselves only.
The building blocks is how see them, for sure.
I have a lot of thoughts. I need to think
I’ll be interested to hear more—or read more or talk with you more—about the difference between positive character traits and heroic behavior. I tend to think this is one of the most often misunderstood parts of our work in teaching heroism: some people believe we’re suggesting that being helpful or being nice *is* heroic and other people believe we’re suggesting that being helpful or being nice *isn’t* heroic and thus praiseworthy. For me at least, positive character traits are linked to heroism insofar as they are the building blocks of heroic behavior. They’re necessary (and thus very good and we strongly encourage developing them) but not sufficient.
Well, Team sports teach us a lot about heroism specially when we see that the members of a certain team are working harmonically towards victory, individual sports teach us a lot about the pursuit of perfection and the mastery of one self's body and mind, but I don't think that on themselves sportsmen and women are a good example, in order to be called heroes, they ought to have a bigger purpose than the sport itself. why? because sometimes being good at something doesn't mean being a good person in general. and this concept doesn't apply only to the sporting area.
I'll tell a personal example of mine. As a Brazilian, I was taught since an early age about soccer, and I watched Brazil's team being champion in the 2002 world cup and it was nice to see that team playing in the world cups, They were our best and our heroes, humble, simple, people that represented our people, our challenges and creativity, they recognized where they came from and lift the people around them, before being soccer players, they represented our spirit as a nation and what we had in our hearts. They were truly heroes.
Now fast forward to 2025, even though Brazil is still a fan of soccer nation, its more and more common to see people that doesn't like it, because it seems to me that our players don't represent us anymore. Some of them are excellent player, still, they don't care about the people nor demonstrate gratitude, sometimes they seem self centered, egotistical people that look to their own people with despise, nor they seem to be playing with a team, but only to themselves. Oh boy, you wouldn't want to be around them if a fire started in a building, they'd rather save their careers than save someone in need.
That is why it's not only about being good at sports, its about representing something, a soccer team used to represent their neighborhoods, the efforts of the families, the strength of community, the sweat and the service, it was way beyond sports, it was uplifting, and I don't know about other places in the world, but here, in Brazil, it is what needs to be restored.
That’s a really good point, Ramon. The Brazilian team from an outside perspective seem less proud to be part of a team and more proud of themselves only.
UP THE REDS 🐦🔥