Objectively Heroic
By Markus Tam
Introduction
Interview
Definition Essay
Hero Definition by Markus Tam (Papahronis Writing, P7, 1-31-16)
A hero is someone people should look up to; a hero is someone that is the perfect role model. A hero is someone who always does the right thing, makes the right decision, chooses the best path, right? Wrong. When people think of heroes, they think of people who perform courageous feats, do kind acts, solve difficult problems. They think of people who are smart, brave, and kind. Don't we have all of those qualities, too, though? Some of us have courage, intelligence, kindness, and other heroic qualities. We are all heroes. A “hero”, though, is someone who engages themselves in a situation where they utilize their desirable, heroic qualities.
A hero is a healthy, cautious person with a strong immune system who survives two cancers. Imagine a man with cancer whose caution is shown when he has himself examined after his dog suddenly begins to frequently sniff his right cheek. Consider a cancerous woman whose strong immune system saves her from death. The man never seemed heroic before, but his cautious and careful manner was emphasized in the situation he was put into. Since the man is prepared and knows just how to react in this situation, he fights off the cancer easily. The woman has always been healthy, and her immune system was always strong because of that. Though she is not actually doing anything while ill, her body is fighting disease. It wins the battle, and her good health has now made her a hero. These people are no different than they were before; however, they were put into a situation where their qualities were emphasized. If the man had been completely fine, he would be considered paranoid; if the woman had been fine, she would have been considered just another normal person. In this instance, since these traits did something that is considered amazing, they have been deemed heroes.
A hero is a man put in a position of leadership who uses his eloquence and conflict-resolution skills to make peace. Bob was recently made King of the United States of America. Currently, the United States of America (USA for short) is at war with Canadia. Bob has a way with words. He has settled a good many small disputes in the past, but never anything large enough to be considered heroic. Deciding to utilize his skills to calm the people, he eloquently soothes and reassures them. Bob then negotiates with the Canadia Executive Board, and they decide to give the USA their coveted maple syrup recipe in exchange for Alaska. All the USA citizens now view Bob as a national hero. This application and realization of Bob's talents is the sign of a true hero.
As previously explained, King Bob and the cancer survivors are both images of what a hero truly is. A hero can be anyone that best utilizes their unique skills, talents, and qualities to accomplish tasks, solve problems, and achieve goals. Someone could have the potential to become the world's most celebrated hero, but never be able to show everyone how great they are. Look at yourself; look at your special, individual qualities. Could you be a hero? Do you use the skills you have as best you can? In any case, you should always remember that anyone can be a hero.
Another 100% Markus Tam Essay: This Time About an Untouchable Hero by Markus Tam (That's the Third Essay So Far)
A hero is someone who utilizes and applies their inner heroic qualities to the fullest extent through engaging in situations that require their traits and skills. The hero I chose to research is writer and scientist Michio Kaku, as he was the first one that came to mind. Kaku is a renowned physicist who is well-known for his popular books, which popularize science by explaining it in a way that is understandable and interesting to the general public. He has become widely known due to this rare, effective, heroic use of his abilities. Michio Kaku goes beyond the set criteria of a hero through his widely-recognized unusual but effective use of his unique skills and talents.
Michio Kaku is a hero because of his creative & impactful applications of his individual traits & abilities. First, to give context to Kaku’s achievements. It is stated by Contemporary Authors Online that "Kaku was born in San Jose, California, to parents who were kibei--Japanese immigrants...the U.S. government confined them to a concentration camp during the war. Following the war Kaku's father and mother went to work as a gardener and a maid" ("Michio Kaku"). This shows how Kaku comes from a family low in social and economic status, which gives context to all the heroic examples that follow, as it makes them seem even more impressive/interesting. How he went from a poor outsider to one of the most influential and well-known scientists in America today is one of the greatest applications of his skills, as, also stated by Contemporary Authors Online, Kaku and his parents made an electromagnetic particle-smasher when he was in high school that gained him attention from the famous scientist Edward Teller, landing him at Harvard (“Michio Kaku”). This really shows the application and utilization of Kaku's talents and skills in science to create something extraordinary (an atom smasher isn't exactly a typical high school science project), which got the attention of a famous professional scientist. This was the first step in his ultimate success and is the basis of how he got to where he is. Now he has become quite prolific and influencing in terms of television appearances, both in science programs and talk shows. As mentioned by PR Newswire, Kaku "has starred in science programs on the Discovery Channel, the Science Channel, BBC, ABC and the History Channel. He is a regular guest on news programs including those on CBS, Fox, CNBC, MSNBC and CNN, and has appeared on major talk shows, including "The Colbert Report," "The Late Show," "The Tonight Show," and others" ("NCJU Presidential Speaker Series Celebrates New Jersey's 350th Anniversary with Renowned Scientist Dr. Michio Kaku"). These TV appearances show fame and acceptance from general public, which is a kind of confirmation of heroism. His talk show appearances show recognition of his abilities, and his appearances on science programs show his current authority. This authority that he is seen as is the ultimate success of the use of personal skills. It means that he has now become so proficient in his abilities that he is inspiring others to become heroes, also. In addition, Kaku is commonly, as asserted by PR Newswire, "Called a modern-day Einstein…” and “is the author of numerous New York Times best-selling books" ("NCJU Celebrates New Jersey's 350th Anniversary with Renowned Scientist Dr. Michio Kaku"). Albert Einstein was a revolutionary scientist still revered today for how he forever changed society, so being compared to him is a great honor to Kaku. This shows just how much recognition he has gained for his efforts. The facts that he has written quite a few books that have been on the prestigious NY Times Bestseller list also shows how much he is both applying his skills to great effect, and inspiring others similarly. As previously analyzed, my research shows both the context & specifics of Kaku’s many impactful achievements achieved through the creative applications of his individual traits and abilities.
The chosen researched hero (Kaku) & chosen interviewed hero (Tam) have both gotten out of difficult times and achieved success in life due to using their unique qualities and talents to the fullest extent. Kaku is a hero because of how he used his scientific abilities, creativity, and passion to successfully both create & advance ideas in the realm of science and inspire & engage others on the topic, and go from a not-very-wealthy immigrant to a renowned scientist & writer. Tam is a hero because of how she similarly used her abilities (though in educating, yoga, and massage, not science) to successfully gain a position in life she wished for & intended, even with numerous other things to keep track & take care of. Michio Kaku and Sheila Tam are both (objectively) heroes because of their awareness towards their individual skills and their ability to apply those skills to achieve success, despite how hard it was under their circumstances.