Scott Labarge's Heroism: Why Heroes Are Important

Heroes play a vital role in laying down the foundation of our dreams and demonstrating the possibilities of our aspirations. Scott LaBarge, in his essay “Heroism: Why Heroes are Important “, elucidates the importance that heroes have in society, by not only describing the ones that are portrayed in a positive light, but the ones that have cast a shade of negativity onto cultures, as well. LaBarge, a philosopher, explains how a person’s choice of hero relates to their sense of what human excellence involves and their behavior, and he outlines what we as a society can do to shape these choices. LaBarge begins his essay by detailing his own personal hero. LaBarge reflects on how reading Henry David Thoreau’s book Walden impacted the direction in which he would go in life and leading to him becoming a philosopher. When LaBarge addresses his view of Walden and the impact that it had on his life, he states that, “I read about living deliberately, about sucking the marrow out of life, about not, when I had come to die, discovering that I had not lived, and I was electrified. Somehow he convinced me that living deliberately meant becoming a …show more content…
There is a need, now more than ever, for heroes that portray traits that are noble and courageous. Heroes are just like each of us, so they are important to society because they show each of us our possibilities. LaBarge summarizes this best when he explains that, “True, the false steps and frailties of heroic people make them more like us, and since most of us are not particularly heroic, that may seem to reduce the heroes’ stature. But this dynamic pulls in the other direction as well: these magnificent spirits, these noble souls, amazingly, they are like us, they are human too. And perhaps, then, what was possible for them is possible for us.”