Is 'hero' overused?

Superman and Wonder Woman are of the comic book variety. Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King, real-life legends. Heroes all and, once upon a time, among few who shared that label.

Now, wrote one frustrated reader, “hero” has become an overused word. To quote the reader, “a law enforcement officer driving around town in his patrol car is not a hero. A schoolteacher is not a hero. A firefighter is not a hero riding around in a fire truck. Getting a Purple Heart does not make you a hero.

“They need to perform some act outside their ‘normal’ scope of employment to be called a hero,” J.M. said.

Such as entering a burning building to save lives (especially if one is not a firefighter). Leading a rescue mission with low odds. Standing out. Going above and beyond call of duty.

It’s an understandable viewpoint. Until recent years Americans reserved use of the word “hero” for exceptional circumstances. Lately, I’ve seen signs on restaurant windows calling their employees heroes for being at work because low staff levels make the job harder (and reminding us to tip).

While those employees are certainly appreciated, are they heroes? Perhaps that use of the word is an exaggeration and J.M. has a point. But what of the first responders, teacher, and combat veteran?

The Oxford Dictionaries definition of hero is "a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities."

Can one be a hero simply for “doing their job,” when the job involves risk or personal hardship? It depends on individual perceptions. To some, police and firefighters are all heroes because they accepted a job which potentially puts their lives at risk to increase the safety of others, even if it doesn’t happen daily. Soldiers injured in battle are also simply doing what they're paid to do, but unlike my comfortable job from an armchair at a computer, theirs involves some level of personal risk while benefiting others.

Teachers are a less obvious example, but spending time in a classroom or board meeting in the last year makes the argument clearer. Schools seem to have become a battleground for political and partisan viewpoints, behavior and discipline has become much more challenging than it was, and the overall cost-reward ratio for being a teacher has lost some of its balance.

Yet those most passionate about helping children keep at it anyway. To some, that makes them “admired for… noble qualities.”

The acceptance of risk which benefits others, to those who see them this way, is what makes them heroes. Same goes for healthcare workers in hospitals or who deal with patients with communicable, serious diseases — they face risk to themselves in order to help others. Like the first responders, they chose employment with elevated risks and which benefits other people.

These perceptions, if not universally shared, do fall within the dictionary definition of "hero." The regular office workers, hospitality workers (when health exposures are low at least), and columnists at cushy desks are less likely to fit the bill.

On the other hand, the reader’s point is that even with risky jobs, a hero must have some unusual level of courage or an achievement that sets them apart from colleagues. Otherwise, the word loses its meaningful distinction. Actually running into the burning building and saving lives, rather than simply knowing they might have to one day. Earning a combat medal. Working around the clock on fumes to treat the sick and wounded. Teaching girls to read in defiance of Taliban rules. You get the idea.

I see both sides. The exceptional act argument better fits the more traditional use of the word hero. If anyone can be heroic, then the word loses its meaning.

Yet at least in the case of those with risky jobs which help others, “hero” fits part of the definition, and today’s teachers or others admired for their noble qualities fit the other part.

So did my abused mother, if only to me. The things she did to protect her kids, well, I certainly saw some of those choices as heroic. Many have such personal heroes in their lives. At least that’s how we see them, even when others wouldn’t.

That’s the crux of it: Right or wrong, “hero” has become more personal, perhaps even transitional, in American culture.

Thanks to J.M. for the topic.

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Sholeh Patrick is a columnist for the Hagadone News Network on the fence about hero worship. Email Sholeh@cdapress.com.