In the final scene of Christopher Nolan’ motion picture “The Dark Knight Rises,” Batman tells Commissioner Jim Gordon – and this is a paraphrase here – that a hero can be anyone who does a simple task of putting a jacket around the shoulders of a boy telling him the world hasn’t ended.

This description of a hero is quite pertinent.  A hero doesn’t need to wear a cape.  A hero doesn’t need to save lives.  A hero doesn’t even need to be someone defending a nation from foreign invaders.  A hero can be an average person that is polite, respectful and kind to his fellow man.

Politicians like to pander to voters and continually claim that military personnel are heroes, but even though that can be true, common folk can be just as heroic as the brave men and women who sport a military uniform.

With media outlets constantly reporting on the treacherous miseries of life that involve murder, robbery, violent acts, complete disrespect of both human and animal life and the overall complexities of a man or woman, we don’t focus on what makes mankind great.  Of course, we all have shortcomings, we all make errors and we all are not perfect, but there is moral decency in everyone.

How can society define a hero?  Although this writer is certainly not the ethical authority nor an optimist, there are qualities that can be attributed to our neighbour, our colleague, our acquaintance, our landlord and even the CEO of a major investment firm – we just don’t know it.

Understanding

The paucity of understanding is ubiquitous in our society.  For some reason or another, we as humans tend to jump to conclusions and become irrational individuals who impetuously attack someone, whether it be for the wrong order at a fast food restaurant or for a spouse forgetting to bring home the eggs.

Someone who can understand human error can be labelled as a hero.

Polite

How and why people can be impolite is one that can befuddle the greatest of minds.  The best example is of someone blaring loud music on a bus, hitting a fellow passenger on the train with his or her bag or taking up an entire two-seater on a streetcar (tram).

Being polite is a quality that society lacks, but it’s something that must be infused in today’s world.  Sure, we can all blame teenagers and the youth, but where do they learn this behavior from?  Parental figures, adults and their co-habitants on this planet have been the ones to not practice the acts of courtesy and graciousness.

Respect

It’s easy to disrespect individuals, especially those that you find rude, obnoxious and supercilious.  But criticisms of these types of individuals and being respectful to even one can morph that person into becoming this exact same man or woman.

Showing respect to everyone, no matter who they are, can be labelled as a hero.

These three qualities are definitely traits that can label a hero; someone that can see the good and decency in all, but still comprehends the challenges that everyday life brings to each and every one of us.