Heroism Quotes

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  A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.

  Christopher Reeve

  Inspirational, Motivational, Strength

  "Still Me". Book by Christopher Reeve, 1999.

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• In short, heroism means doing the right thing regardless of the consequences.

  Brandon Mull

  Mean, Doing The Right Thing, Consequence

  Brandon Mull (2012). “A World Without Heroes”, p.110, Simon and Schuster

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• A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.

  Joseph Campbell

  Life, Inspiring, Veterans Day

  Joseph Campbell, Bill Moyers (2011). “The Power of Myth”, p.151, Anchor

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• Heroism often results as a response to extreme events.

  James Geary

  Events, Results, Response

  "Tube driver, footballer, rock star, terror victim: they're all Euro heroes" by Mark Townsend, www.theguardian.com. October 1, 2005.

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• True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost.

  Arthur Ashe

  Memorial Day, Courage, Hero

  "Worth Repeating: More Than 5,000 Classic and Contemporary Quotes" by Bob Kelly, p. 169, 2003.

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• True heroism consists in being superior to the ills of life, in whatever shape they may challenge us to combat.

  Napoleon Bonaparte

  Life, Sports, Hero

  19 Copy quote
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  It doesn't take a hero to order men into battle. It takes a hero to be one of those men who goes into battle.

  Norman Schwarzkopf

  Inspiring, Courage, Veterans Day

  Norman Schwarzkopf (2010). “It Doesn't Take a Hero: The Autobiography of General Norman Schwarzkopf”, p.13, Bantam

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• The hero draws inspiration from the virtue of his ancestors.

  Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

  Inspiration, Hero, Virtue

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  We don't have to engage in grand, heroic actions to participate in the process of change. Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world.

  Howard Zinn

  Inspirational, Life, Change

  Howard Zinn (2010). “You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train: A Personal History of Our Times”, p.208, Beacon Press

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  There is a certain enthusiasm in liberty, that makes human nature rise above itself, in acts of bravery and heroism.

  Alexander Hamilton

  Hero, Patriotic, Bravery

  Alexander Hamilton, Donald R. Hickey, Connie D. Clark (2006). “Citizen Hamilton: The Wit and Wisdom of an American Founder”, p.87, Rowman & Littlefield

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• Everyone is necessarily the hero of his own life story.

  John Barth

  Sports, Hero, Stories

  "How to Seek Heroism in Demands" by Grande Lum, www.huffingtonpost.com. April 10, 2009.

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• Heroes are necessary in order to enable the citizens to find their own ideals, courage and wisdom in the society. The hero carries our hopes, our aspirations, our ideals, our beliefs. In the deepest sense the hero is created by us; he or she is born collectively as our own myth. This is what makes heroism so important: it reflects our own sense of identity and from this our own heroism is molded.

  Rollo May

  Inspiring, Hero, Order

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• The legacy of heroes is the memory of a great name and the inheritance of a great example.

  Benjamin Disraeli

  Inspiring, Sports, Memorial Day

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• Sometimes standing against evil is more important than defeating it. The greatest heroes stand because it is right to do so, not because they believe they will walk away with their lives. Such selfless courage is a victory in itself.

  N.D. Wilson

  Courage, Believe, Hero

  N. D. Wilson (2009). “Dandelion Fire: Book 2 of the 100 Cupboards”, p.173, Random House Books for Young Readers

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• The greatest obstacle to being heroic is the doubt whether one may not be going to prove one's self a fool; the truest heroism is to resist the doubt; and the profoundest wisdom, to know when it ought to be resisted, and when it be obeyed.

  Nathaniel Hawthorne

  Wisdom, Self, Doubt

  The Blithedale Romance ch. 2 (1852)

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• Self trust is the essence of heroism.

  Ralph Waldo Emerson

  Confidence, Running, Wisdom

  Ralph Waldo Emerson, Adam Starchild (2002). “Character and Heroism”, p.63, The Minerva Group, Inc.

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• The title of hero is bestowed by the survivors upon the fallen, who themselves know nothing of heroism.

  Johan Huizinga

  Hero, Titles, Survivor

  Jakob Herman Huizinga, Johan Huizinga (1969). “Dutch civilisation in the seventeenth century: and other essays”

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• Unhappy the land that is in need of heroes.

  Bertolt Brecht

  Happiness, Hero, Land

  Bertolt Brecht (2015). “Life Of Galileo”, p.134, Bloomsbury Publishing

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• Our country doesn't depend on the heroism of every citizen. But all of us should be worthy of the sacrifices made on our behalf.

  John McCain

  Country, Patriotic, Sacrifice

  Liberty University Commencement Address, delivered 13 May 2006

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• When the will defies fear, when duty throws the gauntlet down to fate, when honor scorns to compromise with death - that is heroism.

  Robert Green Ingersoll

  Death, Fate, Honor

  Robert Green Ingersoll (1906). “Famous Speeches, Complete ...”

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• How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!

  Maya Angelou

  Strong Women, Veterans Day, Courage

  "Celebrating Our She-roes" by Jill S. Tietjen, www.huffingtonpost.com. June 10, 2014.

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• Courage is more exhilarating than fear, and in the long run, it is easier.

  Eleanor Roosevelt

  Running, Courage, Hero

  Eleanor Roosevelt (1960). “You Learn by Living”, p.41, Westminster John Knox Press

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• The real hero is always a hero by mistake.

  Umberto Eco

  Real, Mistake, Hero

  Umberto Eco (2014). “Travels in Hyperreality”, p.133, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

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• What is a society without a heroic dimension?

  Jean Baudrillard

  Hero, Dimensions, Heroic

  Jean Baudrillard (1989). “America”, p.89, Verso

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• As a rule, all heroism is due to a lack of reflection, and thus it is necessary to maintain a mass of imbeciles. If they once understand themselves the ruling men will be lost.

  Ernest Renan

  Reflection, Men, Atheism

  "Caliban: A Philosophical Drama Continuing 'The Tempest' of William Shakespeare". Book by Ernest Renan (Act 2, Scene 1), 1878.

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