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Why You Should Never Put Your Heroes up on Pedestals
All mortals have their shortcomings and weaknesses
Never meet your heroes.
A popular refrain, and for good reason.
The idea of having a hero seems innocent, but it can quickly spiral into hero-worship, which is excessive admiration. Commonly, our heroes are celebrities or other people in the public eye. They’re admired because they’ve found a way to make a name for themselves.
Why do we do this? Any number of reasons. It could be in hopes to gain power or status. It might be to model yourself after them. We’re often guilty of subconsciously projecting powerful emotions onto our heroes or leaders.
It doesn’t sound all that bad so far, though, so what’s the problem?
Heroes Are Human
It puts a lot of responsibility on people, for one, when you elevate them to hero status. They most likely didn’t ask for the designation and unless you know them personally, it’s unlikely they’re aware you’ve placed them on the hero pedestal. Ultimately, no matter who your hero is they’re still human.
Perhaps the greatest examples of hero-worship are the likes of Elon Musk, Steve Jobs, and Mark Zuckerberg. They’ve all long been lauded for their success and…
