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How to Become a Hero

Growing up, I never really thought of my father as my hero. It is not as if I did not love my father, but I have never known him to be heroic. “Hero” is not a word that can be thrown around lightly. As I started to grow more mature and find my role models and idols, I realized that my hero is not someone I personally know in real life, but rather in a television show. To me, a hero is someone who always helps others and is always willing to sacrifice himself for others.

Dean Winchester, a character from the television show Supernatural, has become my hero. The show revolves around two brothers, Sam and Dean, and their lifelong mission to hunt down all things supernatural and protect humanity. Dean Winchester is my hero because he is the most altruistic character I know in fiction and reality.

            Dean Winchester never thinks for himself. Ever since he has been a child, Dean Winchester puts his life on the line to protect people he does not even know from evil. And one of the most heroic traits about him is that he does not protect these people for fame, fortune, or even gratitude. He continues his job because he genuinely wants to protect humanity from evil. Additionally, Dean has never put himself before anyone; no one more than his younger brother, Sam. It has been Dean’s lifelong goal to protect his brother and he has done some incredible things to uphold his task. Dean has sold his soul, gone to Hell, and died for his brother. Despite the fact that these events are fiction and impossible in reality, many people would still not sacrifice themselves to this extreme, even for their family.

            A hero is not someone who does one good deed and expects people to praise him, no matter how good the deed is. One deed does not define someone. A hero is someone who constantly thinks about the good of others before himself. But heroes are not perfect. Heroes can make mistakes too; one bad deed does not make a hero a villain. Even in Greek classics, a tragic hero has a fatal flaw. But if the hero constantly shows his selfless behavior, then his mistakes and flaws are miniscule and can be looked over.