Heroes, Victims and the Myth of Greatness

Why We Keep Searching for Saviours, Celebrating Martyrs and Waiting for Extraordinary People to Solve Problems That Belong to All of Us

Introduction

Every society has its heroes. Some are celebrated as great leaders, others remembered as revolutionaries, freedom fighters, martyrs or innocent victims of injustice. Their stories become part of our collective memory, shaping national identities, political movements and cultural values.

But what exactly makes someone a hero? Is it extraordinary courage? Sacrifice? Leadership? Or simply being on the right side of history?

There is something worth questioning about our endless fascination with heroes. We often expect individuals to accomplish what institutions cannot, to demonstrate courage where society remains silent, and to sacrifice themselves for causes that should never have required such sacrifices in the first place.

Perhaps our admiration for heroes sometimes conceals a much deeper problem: our inability to build societies that work without them.

Maybe the question is not whether we need better heroes. Maybe it is why we keep needing them at all.