Where are our True Heroes?
By Shiva
@Shiva49 (28371)
Singapore
April 3, 2016 10:35pm CST
There was always the true hero that outshone the ordinary, took our breath away, and brought much needed breath of fresh air. They showed the art of the possible and how to live life truly inspiring. But most times our world has been overwhelmed by the opposite kind who torpedoed our good intentions and cast a pall of gloom all around us.
We had great leaders among us all through history. They charted new paths, had great vision, leadership, rose to the occasion during crucial moments. Some were catapulted by the occasion like war heroes who faded away soon after but remembered for their daring to overcome odds that looked insurmountable. They rose to the occasion and without their inspiring leadership qualities our history would have been quite different with even dictators keeping the majority under their thumb.
Where are the true leaders now? We seem to have divisive politicians out to fish in troubled waters. Is unbridled freedom of the press failing us with media having vested interests to hoist their own on the majority? It is sort of whoever we elect to power, the boss remains the same.
Is our system capable of producing leaders like Lincoln, Gandhi, and Mandela? And those who struck when the iron was hot like Reagan? Or the media, in the name of freedom clouding the issues, bringing all to ridicule, highlighting the trivia, making us lose the plot of democracy and freedom to work for our betterment? It is time to take a pause and ponder before we elect leaders who do not know how to swim, unwilling to accept the fact, dragging us into deeper waters.
10 people like this
10 responses
@Freelanzer (10782)
• Canada
5 Apr 16
I think celebrity has taken the place of heroes sadly
3 people like this
@Letranknight2015 (52665)
• Philippines
4 Apr 16
I think a hero is something within all of us, and that is the courage to help. I know we all have our respective flaws and bounderies, but despite of that people choose to do what's right and help. Most people are too afraid to out of the comfort zone and help, but does who do and deson't need recognition then they are the heroes.
3 people like this
@Shiva49 (28371)
• Singapore
4 Apr 16
Earlier times we had heroes who stepped out of their comfort zones and led the rest with audacity and onto new vistas. Now we have the many who revel within their zones of petty politics and sow discord among others. They have nothing to show but blame others for attention.
We have everyday heroes and looking back we can pat ourselves on our backs for good deeds but taken as a whole for humanity we have none as those who are ready to step out are brought to their knees even by ridiculing their family members.
There are many issues that the common citizens grapple with every day but they remain intractable and not even taken seriously as dramas are played out on TVs and streets by these wily leaders who for all practical purposes are plain goons! siva
1 person likes this
@WilmaHenry54 (360)
• Stanton, Kentucky
4 Apr 16
I think the system by which we elect our leaders is in dire need of a major overhaul!
2 people like this
@vandana7 (102698)
• India
19 Oct 16
Media is also responsible for reducing the standard of our heroes by spending time reporting something inconsequential about politicians because it is easy to do that rather than go out in search of real heroes. Anna Hazare according to me qualifies.
1 person likes this
@AkamaruKei (5219)
• Malaysia
27 Apr 16
Right now i don't see any heroes all people become politicians because want power and rich. Maybe in the future?
1 person likes this
@AkamaruKei (5219)
• Malaysia
28 Apr 16
@Shiva49 I like Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi. At here our hero is Tunku Abdul Rahman.
1 person likes this
@Shiva49 (28371)
• Singapore
28 Apr 16
@AkamaruKei They spent their lives uniting people but now we have those who divide them!
It is self-preservation, then the party and last the ordinary citizens now, not solving the problems of 99% but more closeted with the rich 1% - siva
1 person likes this
@TiarasOceanView (70020)
• United States
7 Apr 16
I believe leadership begins in the home.
My Mother and Father are my heroes and leaders in life.
Countries have leaders that do nothing for the people.
Even if there is a good intentioned leader, at least in this country, he will be brought down at his sincere attempts to fix the issues by meaningless bodies that block him.
1 person likes this
@TiarasOceanView (70020)
• United States
7 Apr 16
@Shiva49 Yes they put stumbling blocks in front of anyone trying to do good.
1 person likes this
@Shiva49 (28371)
• Singapore
7 Apr 16
Yes, for most the real heroes are our parents who struggle against odds to bring us up.
Yes, our leaders are mostly into theatrics and blame games and that do not benefit the common citizens who mostly want to be left in peace.
I have been highlighting how meaningless the whole democratic process is if the agenda based on which elections are decided cannot be taken forward - siva
1 person likes this
@Shiva49 (28371)
• Singapore
8 Apr 16
@TiarasOceanView Yes, united we stand, divided we fall. Democracy does not mean we cannot be united to tackle vital issues - siva
1 person likes this
@innertalks (23736)
• Australia
6 Apr 16
This idea of true leaders prompts me to ask this question.
How does oneness relate to true leadership?
Oneness produces sparks of itself, spitting forth from its one fire source, only when the spark is prepared to sparkle on its own, and so live for a time away from the fire, but by doing this, the true leader brings forth more heat back to the fire as well, which is the paradoxical nature of how true leaders work, and operate.
A true leader heats things up in the right way, and doesn't act to cool things down negatively with his own grandiose ideas.
A true leader then takes responsibility for his or her own action. They create an aura of acceptance of self in all those around them, because when all accept themselves, oneness is restored, and only real love can do this.
A true leader brings this real love to their cause.
A true leader will step up when a true lover of life is found.
This is of course because all true leaders have a deep love and respect for life, all life.
That's my take on this.
@Shiva49 (28371)
• Singapore
6 Apr 16
Thanks Steve. We have seen in history leaders who solve intractable issues in the way they see fit and able to carry the ground to their point of view and the public are able to relate to them - Margaret Thatcher comes to mind of this genre - tough love!
Then there has been another who suffered, put behind bars, but still held great respect and then knew when to retreat after the job was done - Mandela.
My opinion is America acts like a world policeman and more intent to go it alone but that makes a mockery of the United Nations. My view is a leader should have a wider perspective and need not fire the shots or flex muscles but solve the issues quietly. He should be prepared to lose battles without losing focus to win the war for peace. He should not paint others as enemies inviting their wrath. I feel Obama did more than he is given credit for.
And finally democracy should allow leaders to emerge as we are all human but there is always the few able to assume leadership. Now our media plays spoilsport and it will take a herculean effort for a person to come forward unscathed to take on the mantle of a true leader - siva
1 person likes this
@innertalks (23736)
• Australia
6 Apr 16
@Shiva49 Of course sometimes it's not just the political figures that are the real leaders too.
I think of Mother Teresa, and Martin Luther King JR. They also led the world forwards with their lives
1 person likes this
@Shiva49 (28371)
• Singapore
6 Apr 16
@innertalks Agreed there are the many including social reformers who showed the art of the possible but political leaders take the cake in terms of being called leaders but ending up fighting with each other in endless blame games especially nowadays.
Then the literary giants who make us sit back and think of life in general and also out of the box. Also those in business and science not forgetting religious leaders - siva
1 person likes this
