Brave Ordinary People Who Changed the World

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The discussion revolves around the concept of heroism, highlighting individuals who have made significant impacts on society through their courage and actions. Participants mention historical figures like Tank Man, Nelson Mandela, Gandhi, and Dorothy Counts, emphasizing their bravery in the face of adversity. The conversation also touches on personal heroes, including family members and educators, with a particular admiration for those who sacrifice for the greater good without seeking recognition. There is a distinction made between celebrities and true heroes, with the latter defined by their willingness to endure hardship for social justice. The dialogue reflects on the importance of standing against injustice and the influence of personal experiences in shaping one’s view of heroism. The mention of figures like Kurt Cobain and John Lennon illustrates the connection between personal struggles and broader societal issues, while also acknowledging the role of everyday individuals, such as parents and teachers, in inspiring others. Overall, the thread emphasizes that true heroism often involves significant personal sacrifice and moral courage.
rootX
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Mine are (brave ordinary people who changed the world):

Tank Man


Nelson Mandela
Gandhi

Dorothy Counts (I don't know much about her)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7DUuAYK1RM&feature=related

I am missing lot of them because I don't know about others :cry:
 
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Physics news on Phys.org
Muhammad Yunus.
 
Killdozer.

24n77GgRtrw[/youtube] This is the backstory: [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marvin_Heemeyer
 
jaco pastorius
 
Yeah, who doesn't love alcoholics who get killed while drunk?
 
Tuskegee Airmen

Firefighters
 
grant9076 said:
Tuskegee Airmen

Firefighters

That's a good list :approve:
 
My Heroes...

My teachers, who were all nuns: The Sisters of Saint Francis of the Martyr Saint George...http://www.altonfranciscans.org/
--they save they world every day, for no reward, and for no recognition.


Famous/historical persons...

Hans Christian Ørsted
Horace Mann
Eleanor Roosevelt
Edwin Howard Armstrong
Philo Farnsworth
Jimmy Stewart
Brian Greene
Vance Degeneres
 
Kurt Cobain
John Lennon as personal heroes for their beliefs and what they stood for, which I connect with.

Family members
Other people that don't come to mind.
 
  • #10
binzing said:
Kurt Cobain
John Lennon as personal heroes for their beliefs and what they stood for, which I connect with.

Family members
Other people that don't come to mind.

What did Kurt Cobain stand for?
 
  • #11
I'll add to my list, Astronauts because they risk their lives for the name of furthering science and knowledge.

I don't define one as a hero unless there is significant risk or hardship (socially) to what they do. So, celebs and musicians are not heros because they are good at playing music or acting.
 
  • #12
Cyrus said:
I'll add to my list, Astronauts because they risk their lives for the name of furthering science and knowledge.

I don't define one as a hero unless there is significant risk or hardship (socially) to what they do. So, celebs and musicians are not heros because they are good at playing music or acting.

Yep, I agree.

But, people who stand against unfair alone themselves without any support are my true heroes!
That's why tank man is my favorite (also that black girl - she was just 15!) :approve:
 
  • #13
I don't really have heroes, but I have people who inspire me and whom I deeply admire. I guess that's a hero?

- My Parents. Because they're my parents :biggrin:. And because I've seen them work their a**es off to get everything they have, and never expect to be handed anything from others.

- Lewis Carroll. He's my favorite artist. He was postmodern before there was modernism.

- Leonardo Da Vinci. An incredible man. He was brilliant at so many areas of art and science, it's amazing. Some would say that this was also his flaw: he left many of his works unfinished (in fact, he carried somewhat of a hire-at-your-own-risk reputation: you never knew if he would finish the job you hired him for) and would just jump from one idea to another, never quite perfecting any (unlike Michelangelo, who could obsess for years or even decades, full time, to perfect a single piece of work).— I mean, the guy began designing a helicopter in the 1400's! ... maybe a human lifespan was just not long enough for him to accomplish all of what he had in his mind.

- Socrates. "Free meals for life!"

I can't think of other people whom I always keep in mind like that. They always inspire and affect me.
 
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  • #14
My favourite authors and artists are my heroes.

Historically I would say Tesla and William Stephenson.
 
  • #15
bassplayer142 said:
jaco pastorius
Never mind stupid statements, anybody who understand anything in bass history knows that Jaco was so important that He can be called by his first name only. His influence on music in general was fundamental, no matter whether you like what he did later on or if some people can be judgmental about a period of time they don't even know. Listen to any jingle on television, on radio, all over the place, he created the basis for the use of bass we have today.
 
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  • #16
WarPhalange said:
Yeah, who doesn't love alcoholics who get killed while drunk?
My grand grand father was carrying an axe, and being drunk while trying to reach home for family lunch on sunday morning after the office. He tripped and killed himself. Quite remarkable. He was remembered as somebody who everybody loved. He was exceptionally kind and achieved many things during his lifetime. What did you achieve apart from displaying short-thought judgments ?
 
  • #17
humanino said:
My grand grand father was carrying an axe, and being drunk while trying to reach home for family lunch on sunday morning after the office. He tripped and killed himself. Quite remarkable. He was remembered as somebody who everybody loved. He was exceptionally kind and achieved many things during his lifetime. What did you achieve apart from displaying short-thought judgments ?

Not killing myself with an axe.
 
  • #18
Sorry humanino, you walked into that one. </pun>
 
  • #19
My family! :biggrin:
 
  • #20
RootX,
definitely Dorothy Counts, from your link

Y7DUuAYK1RM[/youtube] Isn't that... something very seriously wrong with mankind.
 
  • #21
FrancisZ said:
My Heroes...

My teachers, who were all nuns: The Sisters of Saint Francis of the Martyr Saint George...http://www.altonfranciscans.org/
--they save they world every day, for no reward, and for no recognition.

do you know how much recognition they ask for? Nun
 
  • #22
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  • #23
tribdog said:
do you know how much recognition they ask for? Nun

Hardy, har har, har har. :)
 
  • #24
Anyone who sacrifices their lives or well being for the benefit of others.
 
  • #25
Topher925 said:
Anyone who sacrifices their lives or well being for the benefit of others.

What if they just inconvenience themselves for the benefit of others?
 
  • #27
humanino said:
Never mind stupid statements, anybody who understand anything in bass history knows that Jaco was so important that He can be called by his first name only. His influence on music in general was fundamental, no matter whether you like what he did later on or if some people can be judgmental about a period of time they don't even know. Listen to any jingle on television, on radio, all over the place, he created the basis for the use of bass we have today.

I admire the fact that someone else here knows of Jaco. He was one and only and needs only be referred to by his first name. His music is crafted from stuff which I or most could never touch.
 
  • #28
rootX said:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7674157.stm

I saw that picture many times but never knew its story ..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1968_Olympics_Black_Power_salute
Truly Amazing! :approve:
I vividly remember that event. A lot of white adults were pretty upset. I thought it was great!

At the time, I had been living in the US less than 2 years, and the segregation and racism had become pretty obvious - but I didn't fully understand it. My friends in grade school were white, black and hispanic, but I didn't think in the those terms. I had learned the term negro, but in my normal everyday experience with my classmates, it wasn't a term I used. I was becoming aware of the Civil Rights movement, and I thought it was primarily a problem with adults, who just didn't get it.

In junior high school, I was reprimanded by some african-american peers who informed me that they preferred 'black' to 'negro', which was a term used by 'white' people to put down blacks. That was early in the 'black power', 'black pride' movement.
 
  • #29
Once I spent three nights in jail. While I was there a white guy stole something from a black guy. I stuck up for the black guy and because I did I got what they call a "chin check" for going against my race. Does that make me a hero?
 
  • #30
My parents for loving me even when I treated them like crap and supporting me even when my decisions were stupid, then helping me to get my sorry self out of the mess I had made while forcing me to learn from my mistakes. My mom especially for sitting with me all those nights when my horse was sick and I couldn't leave her. Hay bales do not make a comfortable bed, and I never asked her to stay she just knew I needed her.

My coach who always said,
"no such word as cant, that's an excuse not a reason"
"if you have a problem its your responsibility, don't go around blaming your horse (or other people) the problem is yours you deal with it"
 
  • #31
Richard Dawkins.
 
  • #32
I don't really have any heroes. The way I see it, people do things for one of two reasons:

-They either have to do it
or
-They enjoy doing it.

Either way, it seems stupid to look up to someone who's doing what they have to do and why would I look up to someone who was just doing something they enjoy doing?

Besides, if I looked up to someone I'd have to spend time trying to be them and why would I want to be them when I can be me?
 
  • #33
Cyrus said:
What did Kurt Cobain stand for?

Ok, not necessarily what he stood for what he went through growing up, etc, I see parallels.
 
  • #34
SticksandStones said:
-They either have to do it
or
-They enjoy doing it.

Here's what I think. ...
Most of the people I mentioned didn't have good lives (So, I don't think they really enjoyed their lives). And, they weren't forced into what they did. They rather made a distinction between right and wrong and screwed their lives for making this society better. They had guts (see China man) to stand against what is wrong and that's what made them hero (better than good people - now good people can easily stand for the right because of those heroes - see Tribdog quote above.) And because of them, we are living in better society (See Obama who is very talented but couldn't have made to presidential election if some people hadn't fought for the equal rights. Now it is so easy for good people to stand against racism.).
 

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