Who are the people that you look up to more than anyone else? I'm interested in what type of people that are chosen. Political, religious, close relatives, or even fictional characters. Who would be on your list?
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Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :
My dad
Posted by Rico (Member # 7533) on :
Superman!
Heh in reality I don't really see people as heroes because I understand nobody is perfect. But people I look up to... well I look up to them for many different reasons. My parents, my family, heck, sometimes even my friends... a lot of the time I'm proud of them and I know that they have some qualities I wish I had. I'm pretty proud of them so I think I could say I look up to them in some ways.
Oh and yeah, Lex Luthor. I mean, cmon, the guy can take on Superman Posted by calaban (Member # 2516) on :
what, besides uncle orson?
Posted by Parsimony (Member # 8140) on :
My Dad, my sister, and James K. Polk.
--ApostleRadio
Posted by twinky (Member # 693) on :
quote:Originally posted by Farmgirl: My dad
Posted by The Pixiest (Member # 1863) on :
Parsimony: Mr James K Polk? Our 11th President? Young Hickory? Napoleon of the Stump?
Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
Religious figures too easy?
Other than that: OSC, Atticus Finch, Claudia Therese
Posted by Hmm216 (Member # 8403) on :
Grandma
Posted by Hmm216 (Member # 8403) on :
Grandma
Posted by The Pixiest (Member # 1863) on :
My Hero would have to be Bianca Chick. A mild mannered lesbian until one day she was bitten by a radioactive heterosexual. Now she's Bi Chic! Fighting for Truth, Justice and going both Ways!
Pix
Posted by Puppy (Member # 6721) on :
My dad. And OSC.
Okay, I have more, but I thought that was too cute not to say.
Posted by Jim-Me (Member # 6426) on :
The Pixiest can you introduce me to her?
Heroes all over the place, but I'm gonna say my kung fu teacher and my therapist for personal heroes, Joan of Arc for Historical, Bill Bates for Sports, G K Chesterton for Religious/Philosophical, Batman for Fictional, and The New York Jet from Gandolfo's Deli for Sandwiches.
Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
I have three personal heroes:
Ignaz Semmelweis, who saved countless women's lives by introducing the principle of medical asepsis.
Margaret Sanger, who saved countless more women's lives by insisting that every child brought into this world should be wanted.
And my husband, Joseph, who is a shining example to all who meet him of perseverance, intelligence, kindness, and menschlikeit.
Posted by Alucard... (Member # 4924) on :
Although fictional, I look up to Ender. I find myself asking myself, "I wonder what Ender would do in this circumstance?". Hope that is not too corny.
I also think my dad is the most kind and wonderful person on this planet.
Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
quote:Originally posted by Puppy: My dad. And OSC.
I sense a scandal!
Posted by Enigmatic (Member # 7785) on :
Ed Wood. He lived his dream. No matter what. Despite a complete lack of success, resources, support, or even talent, he just kept making movies.
Steven Brust. Very much the sort of writer I'd like to become.
--Enigmatic
Posted by ElJay (Member # 6358) on :
I look up to my entire family. They're all taller than me. Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
Boba Fett. Posted by Vadon (Member # 4561) on :
My grandpa who I never met. He did many wonderful things in his life, but while he may have died sooner than he should have, I bet there are still people who remember what he did.
Posted by Stan the man (Member # 6249) on :
Steve Yzerman: (Detroit Red Wings Captain) He's a soft speaking leader. Known for the phrase "We need to start playing better. Starting with me."
Alan Trammell: (Detroit Tigers Shortstop, now Head Coach). I played shortstop as a kid, and I wanted to be like him.
Dad: Being told I am my father's son, or that I am just like my father are the best comments I believe I can recieve.
Posted by Mr.Gumby (Member # 6303) on :
Mission Pres. (for the short time I had him) Bishop Stake Pres(old and new) Mom and Dad
So what if most of them are religious figures. They've been helping me through, probably, THE hardest time in my life. So far.
Posted by Will B (Member # 7931) on :
I used to recognize no heroes. Now...
Jesus Christ King David St. Paul Yoweri Musevini C. S. Lewis St. Therese of Lisieux St. Francis Xavier my friend Rich
I'm surprised at my own list. Good question!
Posted by Evie3217 (Member # 5426) on :
I would have to say my brother. And not just because he's taller than me
Posted by The Pixiest (Member # 1863) on :
Sorry Jim-Me. I can't introduce you to Bi Chic because she's far too busy fighting her Arch-Nemises Sarcougha-Guy and Fallatio Hornblower.
Pix
Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
Oh! Pix!
Posted by Peter (Member # 4373) on :
My brother-in-law
Posted by Pelegius (Member # 7868) on :
Religious figures: Jesus Ghandi Pelegius Peter Abalard the current Dalai Lama Rabbi Kushner
Political figures: Nehru Churchill de Gual FDR
Intellectual figures: Wittgenstien Sarte Michael Grant
Literary figures: Shakespeare Yan Martel William Golding Shaw Joseph Heller
Posted by Zeugma (Member # 6636) on :
Some animators you've probably never heard of, Jim Henson, and my husband. Posted by blacwolve (Member # 2972) on :
I tend to admire people who are the best in their area. I'm not sure that these are my heroes, per se; I don't try to emulate them nor do I think they were good people or did good things. But I do admire them. I also have to know something about them for them to be on this list, so I'm sure I'm missing many amazing men and women.
Napoleon Cardinal Richelieu Otto von Bismarck St. Paul Augustus Ghandi Einstein
[ September 16, 2005, 01:31 AM: Message edited by: blacwolve ]
Posted by breyerchic04 (Member # 6423) on :
my great aunt dorothy, she was born in the heart of the depression, and managed to put herself through college by sewing though none of her three sisters had even tried. She raised three children who are absolutely respectable in their fields, as diverse as those are. When one went through a divorse, she as a retired teacher tutored her grandson no matter which parent was with him that night, just to get him through it all.
People i don't know, I'm less likely to think of as heroes, it just seems less right.
Posted by Glenn Arnold (Member # 3192) on :
John E. Anderson and John Pelton.
Between the two of them they had about 110 years of employment at Praxair, where I used to work.
John Pelton was 84 when they closed the labs. He showed up for work every morning. He was a great resource. Taught me the difference between explosion and detonation, among many other things. He had ~62 years employment on his own. One time he built an operating hammer mill in his wood shop at home to do windage studies on. On his own time. He was a corporate fellow.
John Anderson was about 73 when they closed the labs. He had been retired for about 2 years, so he only came to work 3 times a week. On his off days he went over his lab notebooks and came in with a roster of experiments to run. I could walk into his office unannounced and get a lesson on fluid dymanics, or a story about how he breathed hydrogen to see if it made his voice any higher than helium did. He was a senior corporate fellow. Lasts I heard he was willing to work for free if someone would give him lab space.
Both of these men loved their work, and loved to share their knowledge. Neither of them had any problem arguing their life's work with a peon technician. I wish I'd had a teacher like either of them in school. Just one.
Posted by Treason (Member # 7587) on :
Ender Wiggin, Roland Deschain, Oy, Kira Argounova, my boyfriend, Stephen King and Malcom Reynolds.
Not that many real people on there, but I happen to like my heros epic and larger than life so that's difficult.
Posted by Jim-Me (Member # 6426) on :
oh... we shouldn't forget Hiro Protaganist (from Neil Stephenson's Snow Crash)
Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
Jesus Christ. Solomon. Job. Posted by Jay (Member # 5786) on :
My top ten list in no order:
Orson Scott Card George W. Bush Sean Hannity Rush Limbaugh Ronald Reagan Jesus Christ Bob Barker (my pastor, not the TV dude) Rich Rodriguez (WVU Football coach) John Beilein (WVU Basketball coach) Mel Gibson
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
Hm. You know, I can't think of a single person living or dead whom I consider one of my "heroes." That's not to say that I don't deeply respect some people, or believe that other people have been heroic, but I can't think of any conscious role models that I've attempted to emulate or actively admire. Maybe that's because I'm pretty harsh and stingy with my admiration; I would never consider anyone like Solomon to be worthy of it, for example.
Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
What, Tom? Not even Ignaz Semmelweis?
Posted by Will B (Member # 7931) on :
One of my favorite heroes is roast beef, lettuce, and tomato.
Posted by beverly (Member # 6246) on :
Kristine Card. Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
Semmelweis, as in the guy who discovered that doctors should wash their hands? *blink* No, see, I think that makes him useful, but I can't really come up with anything that'd elevate him to the status of a personal hero. He was arguably heroic, though, insofar as righteous stubbornness is a heroic attribute (which it is).
[ September 15, 2005, 02:07 PM: Message edited by: TomDavidson ]
Posted by Crotalus (Member # 7339) on :
Jesus Christ, my wife, my parents, both grandmothers (deceased), and my father-in-law.
Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
Yeah, that Semmelweis, the Hungarian doctor, trained at the greatest medical school of his day, in Vienna, and was horrified at the mortality in the obstetrical cases. He discovered that infection, morbidity and mortality could be prevented by handwashing and disinfection. He was ridiculed for his assertions, even though he conducted controlled, scientific experiments proving his theory. He taught other medical students at the Univerity the principles of medical asepsis, and these students carried his doctrine throughout Europe. Although he did not receive credit and recognition, or see his ideas accepted during his lifetime, his students eventually made his teachings more widely known.
He predated Louis Pasteur, whose germ theory of disease corroborated Semmelweis's findings.
Posted by Brinestone (Member # 5755) on :
My best friend Marie.
Posted by The Pixiest (Member # 1863) on :
I see a lot of people mentioning their faith in this thread so I suppose I should mention mine.
And here is a drawing of me (dressed appropriately) communing with Him. I appologise for the quality of this drawing. I'm not very good. (I believe I've posted this before) http://mash.best.vwh.net/art/Pirate%20Pix%20N%20FSM.jpg
Pix
Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
Tom, but, but...Atticus Finch!
Posted by Parsimony (Member # 8140) on :
Pix, yes that would be the James K. Polk I was referring to.
Austere. Severe. He held few people dear, you know?
--ApostleRadio
Posted by Glenn Arnold (Member # 3192) on :
It helps when your hero is not a fictional construct.
I think Tom is too uptight about the definition of hero though. Who comes to mind when you think of people you have great respect for, Tom? I think that'd do.
Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
Ooo, I almost forgot. J.K. Rowling.
Funny, brilliant, brave, kind, stubborn, and sensible.
Posted by Wowbagger the Infinitely Prolonged (Member # 7476) on :
Uwe Boll. He lived his dream. No matter what. Despite a complete lack of success, support, or even talent, he just keeps getting people to give him money and one day his dream of turning every video game into a crappy movie will be complete.
Posted by Eruve Nandiriel (Member # 5677) on :
Albert Einstein. If he failed math, maybe I still have some hope left.
Posted by Epictetus (Member # 6235) on :
Here are some of mine, in no particular order.
The Buddha Socrates Jesus of Nazareth Epictetus (obviously) My parents and siblings Michelangelo Buonarroti Jonathan Swift Oscar Wilde Garrison Keilor
Posted by Phanto (Member # 5897) on :
A woman named Lust.
Posted by SteveRogers (Member # 7130) on :
I just wrote an essay about this for my Honors English class, I got a 94% and tied for the highest grade in the class. I had to name three qualities-bravery, self-sacrifice, and spirit- and list three people who exemplified the qualities. I listed George Washington, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Kurt Cobain. I realize that Kurt Cobain probably shouldn't have been on the list because of some of the mistakes he made, but I put him there anyway.
Kurt Cobain, for those who don't know, was the lead singer of a band called Nirvana. He was also addicted to Heroin, married, and had a child. And, on another note, shot himself in the head. But he wrote what he felt and expressed it in one of the best ways, through rock music. He was a wonderful lyricist, and he could sing. Despite some of his mistakes, him and his band mates have inspired a friend of mine and I to seriously start a band, we'd acted like we had one for awhile. We've got it all figured out. All we need now is song writing talent, a knowledge of how to play our instruments, and someplace to practice. But we're getting there because Kurt Cobain taught us that your music can be awesome, and it can have a moral.
Posted by Tresopax (Member # 1063) on :
Jesus Gandhi The Dalai Lama The Buddha Socrates John Stuart Mill Kofi Annan Dosteovsky Dr. Seuss Hayao Miyazaki Walt Disney J.K. Rowling Cal Ripken Papa Moose CT Two of the pastors of my church Three of my high school teachers One of my college philosophy professors The dude who swiped cards at the dining hall at college A guy I knew from high school A surfer kid I met only briefly at the beach And, of course, Ender Wiggin
The list could go on forever...
Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
quote:Originally posted by Tresopax: The list could go on forever...
And I was afraid it would.
Posted by SteveRogers (Member # 7130) on :
That wasn't very nice, Tante. So what if he, maybe, looks up to a lot of people.
Posted by Book (Member # 5500) on :
Leonidas.
Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
quote:Originally posted by SteveRogers: That wasn't very nice, Tante. So what if he, maybe, looks up to a lot of people.
I didn't intend to be mean. I just thought the list seemed, well, unselective. It included people whose names he didn't know. Wonderful to have a wealth of role models, but perhaps the list may benefit from some editing.
Posted by Tresopax (Member # 1063) on :
Some people think that the key to happiness is to be admired by many and be hated by few. That is wrong. It is much more important to admire many and hate few.
Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
OK! Be happy! I certainly wouldn't want to interfere with that.
Posted by KarlEd (Member # 571) on :
quote:Originally posted by Glenn Arnold: It helps when your hero is not a fictional construct.
I submit that all heroes are fictional constructs. Yes, all of them. Posted by Parsimony (Member # 8140) on :
Even Spiderman?
Posted by Tresopax (Member # 1063) on :
quote:I submit that all heroes are fictional constructs. Yes, all of them.
Why? You don't believe real people can be heroic?
Posted by Fyfe (Member # 937) on :
Why Oscar Wilde, Epictetus?
My heroes are my parents, because they're fantastic, and Atticus Finch. I have a bracelet that says WWAD, and I am very fond of it.
Jen
Posted by ambyr (Member # 7616) on :
quote:Originally posted by Eruve Nandiriel: Albert Einstein. If he failed math, maybe I still have some hope left.
Sadly, it's my understanding that this is merely an urban legend.
Posted by KarlEd (Member # 571) on :
It's not that I don't believe people can be heroic, I just believe that "hero" is a label we apply to the good and admirable qualities of a person, usually discounting the negative.
If you look back at the lists people have submitted, most of the names listed are simply labels used to designate reputations, not the reality of who those people were.
Even if someone who listed "Dad" explained to me why they did so I might agree that their dad was heroic. However, I'd still be applying "hero" to a very limited perception of the reality of who that person was.
Posted by Parsimony (Member # 8140) on :
I don't understand the fascination with Atticus Finch. Honestly. I read the book, I saw the movie, and I wasn't all that impressed. Atticus Finch is somewhere near the bottom of fictional people with admirable qualities for me.
--ApostleRadio
Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
quote:I submit that all heroes are fictional constructs. Yes, all of them.
Even Ignaz Semmelweis?
Posted by Eruve Nandiriel (Member # 5677) on :
quote:Originally posted by ambyr:
quote:Originally posted by Eruve Nandiriel: Albert Einstein. If he failed math, maybe I still have some hope left.
Sadly, it's my understanding that this is merely an urban legend.
You're so cruel...snatching away my hope like that... *tear*
Posted by SteveRogers (Member # 7130) on :
Actually, it isn't an urban legend. Last time I checked I mean. He may not have failed math specifically, but he did not do well in school.
Posted by Amanecer (Member # 4068) on :
Depending on how much you trust wikipedia, Einstein did not fail math. Wikipedia
quote: There is a recurring rumor that he failed mathematics later in his education, but this is untrue; a change in the way grades were assigned caused confusion years later.
Posted by SteveRogers (Member # 7130) on :
I just that I don't think he failed math. But I'm almost 99% sure that he failed some of his other classes.
Posted by Amanecer (Member # 4068) on :
You could be right SteveRogers. I've only done a little googling, and that pointed to it being a myth. Do you have a link?
Posted by SteveRogers (Member # 7130) on :
No, but I watched an educational video awhile back. It said that he recieved mostly D's, when converted to our grading system, during his earlier school years.
Posted by fugu13 (Member # 2859) on :
No, I believe that's because the schoolsystem he was in used a grading system that later got inverted to conform with German standards.
Posted by Glenn Arnold (Member # 3192) on :
Just got word that John Pelton (one of my heroes previously listed) has died at the age of 89.
Posted by Askew (Member # 8438) on :
My heroes tend to be fictional because for me a hero embodies an ideal. You can also know what goes on in the mind of a fictional character; they can be laid out with clarity and intent is important. Humans aren't perfect and I respect the many people who have done great things but humans are made from shades of grey. For an ideal I go to fiction/myth. I imagine it sounds like a sycophant, but Bean is one of my heroes. Even when I read the first book before the others had been written. He was not treated well and could have easily turned his abilities to negative things, but despite everything that was done to him, he did positive things. The strengths of his character are close to ideal for me. What he did wasn’t about personal glory but about an underlying moral view of humanity as a whole. Even as he saved people he was still left out for the very thing that enabled him to save them. My real life heroes would never make the news or likely be famous, but they are the people who make the choice to do right even in the face of temptation or difficulty for no other reason than it is the right thing. They are the people who don’t join in the excuse mantra “No one else does the right thing, why should I.”
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Oh! Pix!