A World Without Hero
Throughout the history, man had worshiped heroes, just like the way they worshiped god(s). People deified the heroes, making them the models of the society.
In dictionaries, a hero is defined as "a person distinguished by extraordinary courage and noble qualities". Nowadays, the meaning of the word "hero" has changed, it is no longer suitable for describing the fearless warriors in the battlefields as they seem so powerless against the highly advanced weapons. A modern hero is born without bloodshed. However, the change of the meaning of this word might have caused some misconception about this word. Just turn on the TV, it is quite common to hear someone called another person some kind of "hero", all of a sudden, the world seems filled with heroes and heroines, as if we are living in the Utopia. In fact, all these so-called "heroes" are just some phonies; they have done a thing but acquiring fame and personal interests.
Detail of The School of Athens by Raffaello Sanzio...
Utopia
The Virtue of SelfishnessAll these "heroes" stories are nothing but a farce. The people feel so sick and jaded. Eventually they begin to realize that they are living in a world without hero, heroism is no longer what they believe in, and they chose cynicism and selfishness, in spite of all the religious teaching of altruism and sacrifice. The ones that would sacrifice are considered foolish, self-destructive aberrations, and are to be snorted at. And time and time again, facts have proven that the Darwinian evolution has eliminated any single specie that is foolish enough to sacrifice for others.
It is not hard to believe this astonishing theory for anyone who has read Elie Wisel's Night. Men fought each other to death over some bread crumbles; the son killed his old father for a little piece of bread. This story suggests...