The “Merriam-Webster” online dictionary defines a hero as “man admired for his achievements and noble qualities.” It is not too difficult to find a hero.  History holds many examples: Joan of Arc, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr.  etc. Sometimes a person’s job makes them a hero: men and women who serve in law enforcement, fire departments, the military, and disaster relief organizations are some examples of this type of hero. Heroes aren’t always people who perform some amazing feat. Some heroes are just “everyday” people who reach out to help someone: the woman who gives a dollar to the man ahead of her in the grocery line because he was a little short; the child who shares his lunch with a friend because he didn’t have one; or, the friend that comes to your house in the middle of the night to take you to the hospital. Whether the hero is world renowned, the policeman on the corner or the friend that answers your call for help in the middle of the night, they share some traits in common.

Heroes are selfless. They perform their acts in service of others without regard for their personal interests. Many heroes risk their own lives, their personal freedoms and comforts to make the world a better place.

Heroes are courageous. They ignore the risks and face the challenges that are presented to them.

Heroes are passionate. They stand firm in their convictions. It is easy to see this in the historic figures who have become heroes to the world, but; it is also present in the firefighter who goes to work every day in order to save lives and in the woman who handed the dollar to the man in the grocery line because she felt it was “the right thing to do.”

Heroes are humble. They perform their acts, not for fame, fortune, public recognition or personal reward. They perform them because they are guided by their conscience to do so. 

Heroes are role models. We look up to them and admire them because they meet our ideals. We want to be like them and act like them. We see their selflessness, their courage, their passion, and their humility, and these are the traits we want to see in ourselves.

What makes a person a hero? People become heroes when they perform a selfless act in service to another without seeking personal gain.