Heroes

HEROES
  * Do you agree that someone who is seen as a “hero” can also have some obvious character flaws?
In my opinion, someone who is seen as a hero can possess some obvious and even obscure character flaws. In today’s society, people often picture their heroes as flawless characters with superhuman strengths and powers, such as the Superman and Batman types. Others picture their heroes as ordinary individuals who have great talents, such as the Michael Jordan type. All these types of heroes have one main thing in common; a flaw which can be a limitation, imperfection, problem, phobia, or deficiency that may affect their actions. A hero is not always perfect, even if the society believes so. An example can be Mr. Incredible from The Incredibles. Mr. Incredible is a superhero; or he used to be, until a surge of lawsuits against superheroes submitted by the people they've saved, forced the government to hide them in witness protection programs so they could lead normal, anonymous lives. This was due to the society who believed superheroes like Mr Incredible weren’t suitable enough for their role, after he allowed a bank robber to escape. Towards the end of the movie, he ends up saving the city and is again regarded as a hero. Thus a hero does not always have to be impeccable, obvious flaws can be present in them.
  * To what extent in our society should heroic people’s failings be hidden or kept private? Do their “wrongs” give a bad message or potentially influence their followers?
In our society, I believe that a hero’s failings and flaws should be kept hidden or private from the world. This can be an exception if he or she permits the media to know about their faults. These flaws can be a problem that directly affects the character/hero's actions and abilities. Alternatively, it can be a simple foible or personality defect, which affects his or her motives and social interactions. Even though heroic people and celebrities are now frequently exposed to the... [continues]

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