Heroes & Villains (Part 1)

When we think of heroes we conjure up images of comic books, firemen, soldiers and people we have looked up to in our life. When we think of a villain, the scene we get in our mind may be anything from a Disney movie to a horrific attack of terror carried out by some enemy half way across the world. With both of these idea’s in mind how do we view ourselves?

Naturally we are prone to think of ourselves in the best possible light, even under the worst circumstances when we initiate a conflict. Why do we think this way, even when we know we are wrong? Simply put, the human condition.

The human condition is complex, but not at all hard to understand. The first part of the human condition is the easiest part to understand. It is the biological process of being human. A good example is that we all (for the most part), are born with all of our internal organs, have an emotional range and will die sooner or later. That’s it for the scientific part.

The other half of the equation lays deep within the realm of philosophy and is much more interesting.

What makes a hero?

In fiction there are three distinct hero classifications:

1.) The Romantic Hero
2.) The Tragic Hero
3.) The Anti-Hero

What sets these three classes apart is degree. All of them are in their own right a hero, but the degree to which they preform heroic deeds may be seen as a somewhat philosophical dilemma.
This can be illustrated in psychology in three classifications as well:

1.) The ID
2.) The Ego
3.) The Super-Ego

These two separate ideas parallel each other. The ID can be represented by the Anti-Hero: The one which does things only in it’s/his/hers best interest and gratification. The Ego can be personified as the Tragic Hero: One that incorporates their experience into their desires. The Super-Ego best reflects the Romantic Hero: The one that is perfect and is selfless.

If you have ever picked up a work of fiction, you may have been able to catch a glimpse of the human condition with out even realizing it. Poe wrote very distant. In his life he was distant. Lovecraft wrote primarily from the first (and only person), perspective. In his life he was very much alone.

This is what philosophers have been trying to figure out since the beginning of time. What makes us human? The answer may not be so clean and clear cut, but gauging from a literary stand point, I would say it steams from the individual. This is known as Existentialism.

Existentialism is a school of thought focused on the individual rather then the masses. However, one must ask if this “individual” is actually the mind. After all, our bodies don’t come pre-programed with personality.

Now at this moment Dualism will inevitably come to your mind. I will pose this phrase to you when concerning Dualism, take from it what you will. "One is really two, but they are still one." To focus on whether or not the mind and body are one or two is very trivial to the point.