On Heroes: A Rant

Tonight at a football game (we lost) I saw a little girl wearing a shirt that said "GIRLS ARE HEROES."  I sincerely hope she didn't really believe that.

It seemed like it would have been inappropriate, but I really wanted to take her aside, to say, "Some girls are heroes, but most are just normal people.  Just like some boys are heroes, but most are just normal people."

Saying something like "GIRLS ARE HEROES" with no qualifiers, no definitions, is the height of stupidity.  Let's consult some dictionaries, shall we?

Oxford English Dictionary
A person who is admired for their courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.

(in mythology or folklore) a person of superhuman qualities and often semi-divine origin, in particular one whose exploits were the subject of ancient Greek myths

Merriam-Webster
a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability

an illustrious warrior

a person admired for achievements and noble qualities

one who shows great courage

Dictionary.com
a person noted for courageous acts or nobility of character

a person who, in the opinion of others, has special achievements, abilities, or personal qualities and is regarded as a role model or ideal

the bread or roll used in making a hero sandwich


Can anyone really say that "girls" in such a broad, general way fit any of these definitions?  The only one I can think of that people could argue for is the last Merriam-Webster one, and that's only naivete on the part of those who would argue that.  No, most girls don't show "great courage."  They might show some courage, and it might be great for them, but objectively, it's not really that big of a deal, especially not if all girls are doing it (which they're not).

I may make some enemies here, but the fact is, some people are better than others.  I know people who are smarter, stronger, and more talented and accomplished than me.  Well, you might say, that doesn't mean they're better than you.

But yes.  It does. 

Obviously, these things aren't going to affect how much God loves me.  And no, there's no difference in terms of rights; I'll have none of that evolution "survival of the fittest" crap.  Yes, the fittest will likely survive.  No, they don't have the right to harm the weak for their own gain.

But it's almost like "better" is a bad word nowadays.  No one is allowed to be better than anyone else.  Just different.

But who really believes that?

Let's come back to girls, because that's where we started.  Teenage girls have a tendency to compare, which can mess with their heads and make them depressed.  People keep affirming them, but these girls keep on comparing.

So I've had an idea.

We as a society have been telling these girls, "You're perfect just the way you are.  You don't need to change."  But they're not perfect.  We're all flawed, and we all know it.  So this is a lie, which doesn't fix anything, glosses over the real problems, and makes them more depressed, because really they know they need to change, they just don't know what or how.

What if, instead, we told them the truth.  "No, you're not perfect.  But you can improve yourself."

And here's where a hero become really important, because heroes aren't people you're comparing yourself with, not really.  They're not people who you're trying to surpass, or can even hope to.  Heroes are people who exemplify good traits in such a powerful way that you're inspired to do your best too.  Heroes are meant to be watched.

But they're not watching back.  They're looking up, just like we do when we look at them.  And I can almost guarantee that heroes are at their most heroic when they're not thinking of themselves as heroes.

We've lost our aim, and we keep telling ourselves that that's what's right.  The problem with telling girls that they're heroes is that that it gives them nothing to aim for but themselves.

And if you're aiming for yourself, you're not going to get anywhere.


NOTE:  This isn't my first time covering the subject of heroes.  I did it in a more formal way a while back.  I'll post that tonight as well.  As soon as you're done here, find that post and read it if you haven't already.  This one is sorely incomplete without it.