- Charles Zhang
- Kyoto
- Japan
This conversation is closed. Start a new conversation
or join one »
It is no longer possible for a society to regard any living man or woman as a hero in the modern age.
Because the reputation of anyone who is subjected to media scrutiny will eventually be diminished. It is really hard for the celebrity to keep a nice image to the public.
Showing single comment thread. View the full conversation.
Showing single comment thread. View the full conversation.
David Hamilton 50+
Charles Zhang
PS:
I come up with a idea where to find the heroes. Perhaps the last heroes are who control the media. But I am wondering, does the men exist?
David Hamilton 50+
I agree with Phillip Zimbardo on how everyday people become heroes or villains, given circumstances and conditioning. I think there are also slightly larger heroes than just the everday folk who do good when they get the chance.
I think there are national heroes, Neil DeGrasse Tyson, and Michio Kaku would qualify in America nowadays, because they bring science into peoples living rooms. Barack Obama wrote the rhetoric that proved that, at least in the realm of president, most people no longer judge a man by the color of his skin.
There are artistic and cultural heroes, Howard Zinn who just left us recently, HH The Dalai Lama regardless of religion has written some brilliant work, Akira Kurosawa The Master... The Axis of Evil Comedy Tour. His Holiness Jon Stewart.
Lots of people on Ted are heroes. The people who invented the eyeglasses made with water, the rolling water jug, the straw that can drink anything. Really what's going on right now in the modern world though... is a bit disturbing... I can't name those three people off the top of my head... and part of the reason why, is because I can always look it up now, I can probably even find a way to contact them... So I don't have to remember there name.
Culture, in America, but also I think in the greater digital world, is not doing it's job. Real artists, real cutting edge science, really honest and enlightened philosophical thinkers... Inventors, engineers... We're not watching, or demanding television, or stadium tickets for them anymore.
Comment deleted
David Hamilton 50+
It's peoples good behaviors we should idollize, not the people themselves. Making idols out of people, just doesn't work in general, but even more so nowadays. People are rarely entirely great people, but they often do great things.
As far as Zimbardo, while I agree with his findings. I disagree with the prescription. I think we have enough heroes like the Zimbardo ones... We don't have enough heroes actually engaged in leading people, or solving problems. To me the lesson of Zimbardo's experiment, is that one psychopath with too much power, can destroy the psychology of hundreds of people, in almost no time.
He doesn't seem to want to teach that part of the lesson. There are an unacceptable number of sadistic and insane people in control of our world, and being prepared to save someone from a train, isn't going to save us from them. My certainty comes from the culture I grew up in, or rather, the complete lack of culture I grew up in. The way we're living is abhorent and utterly impossible to sustain. It is possible to walk and chew gum at the same time. You can be a productive, and impressive person, but also stop to help people in need.
David Hamilton 50+
You obviously didn't read most of what I wrote, because I did not put down Mr. Zimbardo at all, and I've already favorited his stuff. I don't need thumbs up, and I have no intention to lead anyone... I like writing. I'm eccentric, and crazy, and wrong about all sorts of things, but it's fun to express that honestly.
The fact that in a forum where there is a limit of 2000 characters, you find my "explanatory comments are just too long and too many"... Is disturbing, on so many levels. I think most people agree with you. Does everyone have the attention span of a goldfish? I'm sorry, I don't tweet.