According to psychologist Philip Zimbardo, certain traits consistently appear in those proclaimed as heroes. Most modern-day heroes live in urban areas. Big cities present more significant problems than rural or suburban areas. Zimbardo also denotes a connection between a person's education level and doing heroic deeds. He correlates a higher education with a person being more observant of their surroundings. Additionally, people with heroic tendencies frequently volunteered in and around their communities. Lastly, having lived through a prior traumatic experience triples one's tendencies to act heroic in a harrowing situation.
5. Much of heroism depends on society's definition of a hero. In early civilization, myths and legends defined a hero. While these men and women didn't wear capes, their superhuman abilities exceeded what ordinary men were capable of. As society progressed, heroes evolved. Ordinary men and women stood up to injustice, fought for equality, and redefined doing what was best for the greater good. Past and present heroes had one thing in common: taking a risk for the greater good.
6. Another critical factor in defining a hero is taking immediate action in a rare and unexpected situation. A firefighter who does the job expected to rescue a passenger from a burning vehicle may not get as much heroic recognition as a bystander with no medical or rescue training who pulls the injured passenger. A paramedic who performs CPR on an elderly patient may not get as much recognition as an elementary student who completes lifesaving CPR on a grandparent. Why? Society considers the rare and unexpected behavior of someone whose daily life does not typically require sacrifice and risk as "more" heroic. what is the central idea?
