[August 22, 2019] The mythic traditions of our ancestors continue to reverberate in our society today. The classic hero is the knight that kills the dragon, rescues the maiden, and lives happily ever after. The idea that the hero slays the dragon is symbolic of what all humans’ value; to be free from the destructive chaos of the world.
I am, of course, no philosopher so bear with me for a moment while I explain what I see in the hero stereotype. The person who risks everything for the well-being of others and does so by standing for what is good, is a hero is any culture. If we were to gather all the stories of heroes throughout time, we would find a common thread to each; the hero slays the dragon.
That dragon may be the unexplored world (e.g., Marco Polo, Magellan), diseases that kill (e.g., Edward Jenner, Louis Pasteur), new frontiers (the mayflower, astronauts), enemies at the gates (Sun Tzu, Spartacus, Hercules), natural and man-made disasters, or a litany of evils that besiege us. The hero is the one who steps up and pulls us from the evil and dangerous darkness.
Everyone has a fondness for and is attracted to the hero. Perhaps we all have the secret wish to be a hero someday. Unless we’ve been there, however, we will not understand what it takes to pull a family from a burning car or to face a mob that threatens to hang a horse thief. To be there and be the hero is not all glory but full of the most difficult tasks a person has to resolve. That is why we love heroes and happily tell stories of heroes past.
A few years ago, I attempted to answer the question, “What is a Hero?” My answer was built around the idea that courage (both physical and moral courage) is the core attribute of any hero. And while that is true, I don’t think I went far enough in that article to explain the circumstances and environment that puts a person in the position to be a hero. For example, I did not explain that a hero is the one who pulls us from the chaos of life.
When my children were little, their favorite nighttime stories were about the person who kills the most dangerous monsters. They somehow understood that to kill the monster was admirable and good. They knew that something was done to destroy an evil, and they liked that as completely as a child can like a story.
The “hero” is an idea. That idea goes back before recorded history to the origins of humankind. The hero idea is mystical and embodies the concept of sacrifice. Stories have been passed along through the millennia of time, one person to the next, about the knight that slew the dragon.
I will go out on a limb here and say that this is one of my favorite articles; not because it’s entertaining like most of them (it’s not) or that it have me some good historical info (it didn’t) but because it helped make sense what I see in humans. A special thank you for Gen. Satterfield on this posting.
I predict that some of your readers will not get your message here. At least they will not get it right away. I like this blog because it makes me think. You accomplished that this morning for me.
Perhaps. But isn’t that why we are all here at Gen. Satterfield’s leadership blog? If you don’t THINK, then you are not going to succeed very well as a leader. That is why leaders are taught HOW to think and not WHAT to think. That idea applies to anyone who wants to make something of themselves and do good things in society.
Spot on comments here. Thanks Greg and Janna. As you know, I’ve been one of the original commentators like both of you. We’ve been here for years because of the value added by Gen. Satterfield. Thanks for your remarks.
Well said, Janna. Thanks.
Yes, a very interesting way of getting a message across. Maybe Gen Satterfield can have a followup on his thinking here.
A thinking article. ?
I enjoyed today’s article after reading it twice. It took me a little bit to engage my brain this morning. Well done.
You know what they say, ‘stupid is as stupid does.’ If you don’t like this article, then maybe … just maybe you are not fit to be a leader. Just my thinking out loud.
Here is a YouTube video of Prof. Jordan Peterson called “slaying the dragon within us.” I believe he is saying the same thing as you. This video is worth a few minutes to watch; a little long at nearly an hour but he describes the issue well and adds considerable detail, the biological origins (as he sees it), and why we continue to believe in the story. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REjUkEj1O_0
Well said, Max. As usual, you have touched the core of what’s important. On a similar note, if you look at children’s books, one of the popular ones are about dragons. Just check out this search of the Amazon website looking for “children’s books with dragons.”
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=kids+books+on+dragons&gclid=CjwKCAjw-vjqBRA6EiwAe8TCkyw2KMbqYP7eEIhVbeFHkYI5hTv_9BuIdfQNnMQFMJ85-KOVGAr60RoCNBsQAvD_BwE&hvadid=242030365805&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9003867&hvnetw=s&hvpos=1t1&hvqmt=e&hvrand=14263161007004818807&hvtargid=kwd-314414524267&hydadcr=16841_10298664&tag=googhydr-20&ref=pd_sl_81nht1c56w_e
Gen. Satterfield, at first I didn’t know what to think when I read your article but by the time I reached the bottom, it started to make some sense. Now I’m scaring myself and am thinking that I actually might understand this stuff.
A cool philosopher! Wishing you well as you work through those DEEP issues.
He He ….. great comment. I thought that this was not a philosophical website but maybe I’m wrong. Occasionally, but rarely, it’s okay to have a philosophical discussion. Not!
Good to see you on and thanks for reading my comments. I hope we get more deeply into all things related to leadership.
Hi Albert. I think we should have more of this type of article. Posting the same thing everyday gets boring. So, something new like this is valuable.
You guys just kill me. I think this was a great article.
“Deep thinking” is what we need to push us out of our comfort zone.