Defining Heroism

The Heroic Imagination Project defines heroism as an action on behalf of others or in the defense of a moral cause.

Our model of heroism is comprised of four elements:

• It is engaged in voluntarily.
• It provides a service to one or more people in need, or the community as a whole.
• It involves potential risk/cost to physical comfort, social stature, or quality of life.
• It is initiated without the expectation of material gain.
  

Heroism is the active attempt to address injustice or create positive change in the world despite pressures to do otherwise. It may involve coping effectively in unclear or emergency situations, helping others in need, or may involve setting and achieving goals to promote the well-being of others or oppose inequality. We believe heroism is not an abstract concept, but a lifestyle generated though continual personal choice.  Habits of wise and effective acts of heroism can be learned, encouraged, modeled, and are achievable for anyone at any point in their lives.

The Heroic Imagination

Inspirational heroes like Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, Jr., Vaclav Havel, Daniel Ellsberg, and Irena Sendler harness the power of heroic imagination. The heroic imagination is the natural capacity we each possess to dream of a better tomorrow. At HIP, we teach individuals the skills they will need to begin to translate these ambitions into reality. We believe that each of us possesses the ability to grow and to create meaningful and lasting change; a mindset that encourages our willingness to act on behalf of others or in the defense of justice and equality.

The heroic imagination is the antithesis to the ‘hostile imagination’ that fuels a psychology of enmity. In Faces of the Enemy: Reflections of the Hostile Imagination, social philosopher Sam Keen brilliantly depicts how this hostile imagination is created by virtually every nation’s propaganda on its path to war, and the transformative powers on the human psyche of these “images of the enemy.’”

Psychology and Heroism

Our thoughts, feelings, and behavior are profoundly influenced by social and situational cues around us. Research in Social Psychology, helps us to understand and gain a deeper influence over how these forces impact our lives and help us to understand the factors involved in individuals choosing to act heroically.

Please visit our Research page to learn more.