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By Connor Tracy (Class of 2016)
Heroes play a vital role in the lives of those that look up to them, especially young people. They live the lives that we aspire to have. Their actions, words, possessions, and choices have the power to influence the world around them. When evaluating today’s heroes, one cannot help but feel that most are either actors, singers, professional athletes, or come from some division of the entertainment industry. I believe that although these people may set great examples at times, they are not looked up to for that reason. Wealth and fame seem to be the assets that today’s world values the most. Here lies a major problem.
A yearning for wealth and fame leads people towards a life of selfishness and greed. They strive to build up material possessions, while simultaneously weakening their internal possessions. When a person sacrifices pursuing building their character for the pursuit of money and fame, they are feeding into their appetites, and it seems as if these appetites can never be filled. If a person lives their life constantly trying to acquire material objects for the pleasure of having them, they are only pursuing a temporary feeling. Pleasure is something that can easily dissolve with a change of events or time. Character, on the other hand, is something that is not fleeting. Decisions that are based on building character, striving for ideals, or strengthening morals have a lasting effect on a person’s life. It is a constant, never-ending pursuit.
Material objects can be lost or taken away at any moment by the self or outside factors. Character, morality, and ideals can only be taken away by you. A person that focuses on these permanent things will not always feel pleasure, but they will always have meaning in their life. It is strange that we have shifted what we value to things that are out of our control. If we only focused on being a good person, neighbor, student, citizen, etc. instead of being the wealthiest, I feel that we would make a lot more progress. Humans have a deeper calling than simply obtaining material objects and being admired for them.
The question remains of how to shift society towards this deeper calling and away from the pursuit of wealth and fame. I believe that it starts with heroes. Instead of looking up to the wealthy and famous, we must dig deeper and look at the people who are doing the right things. Of course no one is perfect, but if we seek out examples of people striving for ideals, building character, and making moral decisions, we will strengthen our own pursuits. Believing in people that believe in these things will not only inspire us, but it will also challenge us each day to grow and strengthen these internal possessions. Looking back through history is a great way to find examples of these permanent things.
Connor Tracy is a sophomore McConnell Scholar from Graves County. Tracey is majoring in Political Science and Philosophy and is minoring in Pan-African Studies.