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I find that I gravitate to some pretty cliche heroes, but people who are nonetheless deserving of adulation.
Nelson Mandela comes to mind. He has such vision, such commitment, such faith, such strength. He went through so much and still came out with faith in humanity, love and compassion for his oppressors, commitment to his vision.
The Dalai Lama, for many of the same reasons - despite having been kicked out of his country he still maintains faith in his vision of returning, while holding on to compassion for humanity, including the Chinese government.
I might admire actors and sports stars and singers, but the only way they're different from me is that they have money and good genes and perhaps a bit of talent. For the most part, they have not transcended anything - they're just normal people in abnormal circumstances, subject to all the same insecurities and faults and flaws.
The people who qualify as "heroes" for me are people who have found a way to embrace and at the same time transcend human nature, who have a deep love for people born out of understanding and identification with our deepest flaws and our essentially divine nature.
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"If ten million people believe a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing."
- Anatole France
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