Heroes Among Us: 'The Man In The Water'

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A Single Heroic Act Have you ever wondered what qualities make a hero? Heroes or heroines are defined as anyone who is idealized for their courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. A single heroic act can establish an individual as a hero. Heroes or heroines do not do these acts of bravery for themselves, but heroes do it for the sake of others. People are not born heroes but they can obtain the title of a hero by doing just a single act of bravery. Anyone can possess the title of a hero whether they do one act or multiple acts of bravery. Initially, people often illustrate heroes as famous figures that speak up and defend others. But the article titled, “Heroes Among Us: When Ordinary People …show more content…
The article "The Reason Why 'everyday Heroes' Emerge in Atrocities,” by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) states that “[f]or those who give their lives, we can never know what was going through their minds”. The quote states that we can never tell or know what was going through a hero's mind when they sacrifice their life for another. Ordinary people take action when they see or think that it is needed without hesitation. The book titled “The Man in the Water” by Roger Rosenblatt describes the tragic moment when a plane crashed into the Potomac River. Rosenblatt recalls that there was a man clinging with five other survivors to the tail section of the airplane. He also states that “[e]very time they lowered a lifeline floating right to him, the man in the water passed it on to another of the passengers.” This quote means that the man in the water was being selfless and sacrificing his life for others. This matters because his selflessness was what made him a hero even though he only did one act to save

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