Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Binder 1
Binder 1
make a person a hero…. I would like to start my speech with a couple of questions that…
What characteristics or qualities make a person a hero? Is there a hero gene? According to
one recent study, the answer might rest in what type of heroism we are addressing.
According to a paper published in 2010, researchers have found that people who had
engaged in one-time acts of bravery are not necessarily that much different from control
groups of non-heroes.
Researchers Franco, Blau, and Zimbardo suggest that heroism involves more than just this,
however. In their definition, heroism is characterized by:
• Acting voluntarily for the service of others who are in need, whether it is for an
individual, a group, or a community
• Performing actions without any expectation of reward or external gain
• Recognition and acceptance of the potential risk or sacrifice made by taking heroic
actions
One study published in 2015 in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology suggested
that heroes have 12 central traits which are:3
• Bravery
• Conviction
• Courage
• Determination
• Helpful
• Honesty
• Inspirational
• Moral integrity
• Protective
• Self-sacrifice
• Selflessness
• Strength
The psychology of heroism might not be well understood, but many experts do believe that
it is possible for people to learn to be heroes. The following are just a few of the major
characteristics that researchers have ascribed to heroes.
Concern for the Well-Being of Others
I would like to share some of my words here that, heroes are not all that different from
most people. However, there are a number of skills you can build that can boost your hero
characteristics.
Building empathy, becoming competent and skilled, and being persistent in the face of
obstacles are all abilities you can work on overtime. By doing so, you can improve your
ability to help others and come through in times of need.
What characteristics or qualities make a person a hero? Is there a hero gene? According to
one recent study, the answer might rest in what type of heroism we are addressing.
According to a paper published in 2010, researchers have found that people who had
engaged in one-time acts of bravery (like rushing into a burning building or rescuing
someone from the path of an oncoming train) are not necessarily that much different from
control groups of non-heroes.
By contrast, people who engage in lifelong heroism (such as professional nurses who
regularly comfort the sick and dying) do share a number of important personality traits such
as empathy, nurturance, and a need to live by a moral code
Researchers Franco, Blau, and Zimbardo suggest that heroism involves more than just this,
however. In their definition, heroism is characterized by:
• Acting voluntarily for the service of others who are in need, whether it is for an
individual, a group, or a community
• Performing actions without any expectation of reward or external gain
• Recognition and acceptance of the potential risk or sacrifice made by taking heroic
actions
One study published in 2015 in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology suggested
that heroes have 12 central traits which are:3
• Bravery
• Conviction
• Courage
• Determination
• Helpful
• Honesty
• Inspirational
• Moral integrity
• Protective
• Self-sacrifice
• Selflessness
• Strength
The psychology of heroism might not be well understood, but many experts do believe that
it is possible for people to learn to be heroes. The following are just a few of the major
characteristics that researchers have ascribed to heroes.
Researchers have found that in a lot of ways, heroes are not all that different from most
people. However, there are a number of skills you can build that can boost your hero
characteristics.
Building empathy, becoming competent and skilled, and being persistent in the face of
obstacles are all abilities you can work on overtime. By doing so, you can improve your
ability to help others and come through in times of need.