Would you want to be a Super Hero?

[Jerry]

after watching this new movie called " Kick- @ss" it made me wonder...
who in their right mind would actually go out into the world and try to be a Super Hero?
sure as fans of comics, anime, and fantasy we all read, follow it and watch movies about it--- but would anyone actually take it a step further than that?

would you try to protect a perfect stranger from harm or being wronged?
would it matter more if it was a friend or loved one being wronged in anyway?

just curious what peoples 2 cents or thoughts were.
Self Defense, Do-gooder, or vigilante or Do-nothing?

Why is the news so focus on crime or bad stuff happening, and where do our "Heroes" come up?
Just random things to note.

[PyronIkari]

after watching this new movie called " Kick- @ss" it made me wonder...
who in their right mind would actually go out into the world and try to be a Super Hero?
sure as fans of comics, anime, and fantasy we all read, follow it and watch movies about it--- but would anyone actually take it a step further than that?

would you try to protect a perfect stranger from harm or being wronged?
would it matter more if it was a friend or loved one being wronged in anyway?

just curious what peoples 2 cents or thoughts were.
Self Defense, Do-gooder, or vigilante or Do-nothing?

Why is the news so focus on crime or bad stuff happening, and where do our "Heroes" come up?
Just random things to note.

Why not? Police officers, firemen, paramedics, security, they do these things every day, and none of them have powers or anything. The military fight in wars where they are put in a little more than "harms way" to protect people and/or ideals.

People go out of their way all the times to protect innocent people, it may not be from physical harm, but emotional problems, drama, and all sorts of other kinds of harm every day. We may not be fighting and armed thug from robbing an old lady, but all of us definitely put ourselves out there for other people.

[Lalaviolet]

I think the "super" in "superhero" denotes an exceptional ability which is something special that most of us aren't likely to possess, but there are regular heroes in your local news more often than you realize. Like PyronIkari pointed out, those that take oathes to protect and/or serve put themselves in danger for strangers for a living. They don't get credit because they are just doing their jobs. There are also good samaritans who go out of their way to help people out every day as well. What we're willing to do depends entirely on the situation, how strongly we feel about it or the person involved. I don't think you can really know how far you're willing to go unless you've already faced the situation. I was not willing to join the armed forces and die for my country. I will put myself in harm's way for a child. I've put myself in harm's way long enough to call 911 for a stranger being beaten up by her boyfriend but I ran later when he threatened me so I'm not sure what any of that says about me. What I do know is I won't go looking for trouble.

As much as I love reading about vigilante heroes, I just don't think it's a good idea in real life. Everything is about perception, and not all "bad guys" and cut and dry evil like they are in stories. That's why we have a justice system to try to sort all that out, and I'm happy to let them do their jobs. There are people who slip through the cracks, but if you give license to one person to mete out "vigilante justice", why not everyone? I don't have enough faith in people to trust that only those that truly deserve "vigilante justice" will get it. Then again, who am I to say who deserves what?

[BunofGovt]

We don't have to be extra-ordinary to be heroes.  Just going above what is 'normal' is heroic enough.  Dialing 911 when someone is being beaten up is one thing, but stepping in when an adult is cursing at a small kid for not behaving is another.  Speaking out loud when someone drops their trash or empty bottles on the street (hey, you missed the trash can, sir).  Letting someone have your seat on the bus or subway when you've had a pretty rotten day yourself.  Getting up in the morning when you're as sick as crud but someone else is depending on you.  Keeping the faith when you're told the worst news in the world and your first thought is about how others will react and how can I comfort them and keep them going?

I was told once by someone who took a CPR class that the most important thing pressed into the attendees was that, once you start CPR, you do NOT stop until the paramedics arrive.  Making the decision to step in and try to help is pretty heroic, to stick with it and not give up.  That's what I want to believe for myself, that I'd be able to jump in, make the step forward, run towards and not away.

[PyronIkari]

but stepping in when an adult is cursing at a small kid for not behaving is another. 

Now it's fun and actually  belong in this forum. I love getting things rolling and having someone not pick up on it.

Who are you to tell an adult to not curse at a small child? Especially if that child is the adult's offspring. To some, that's over stepping your bounds and you're being the opposite of a hero.

How much is it being a helpful, and how much of it is sticking your nose where it surely doesn't belong. Now we get into morals and ethics. Just because you don't think it's right to curse at a child for not behaving doesn't mean others will agree with it.

[Lalaviolet]

I was told once by someone who took a CPR class that the most important thing pressed into the attendees was that, once you start CPR, you do NOT stop until the paramedics arrive.  Making the decision to step in and try to help is pretty heroic, to stick with it and not give up.  That's what I want to believe for myself, that I'd be able to jump in, make the step forward, run towards and not away.

What they also teach you if you're aiming to become an emt is to not put yourself in danger to save someone. You wait for the police or the fire department to make the situation safe, and then you jump in and do your job. If you were to get seriously hurt trying to help someone else, then suddenly two people need saving and it makes the job for the people trained to deal with those kinds of situations twice as hard. So yes it would be awesome and heroic if we could all jump in and save the day, but you have to use sense and know how you are able to help.

[deonchan]

They do walk among us....sorta. Oh and here. The World Superhero Registry

[Glitch]

The more important thing is can you fight while wearing spandex?

[ELDEMONIO]

Only if I get payed good. Other then that it will get in teh way with my social life.

[animeangelfish]

I could definitely see it happening. My field of work is Criminal Justice and sometimes..you just wish you could do something outside the lines of the law to progress things a little faster. I don't think I would have the guts to go along the lines of Kick @$$ though. That kind of injury freaks me out.

I guess I'd prefer to be one of the normal folks who HELP the heroes.

[lunarknight]

 Well if it were based off the example of the film "Kick @ss", then it would be either one of two people. The extremely vain or the overly righteous. From what I can perceive these are the only two groups of people who would actively seek out crime to solve it.

On the second part of your question, it highly depends on multiple variables such as the person, the culture, the situation, the victim, the assailant, and multiple other factors. In my case I wouldn't actively seek out crime. But if I happened to cross a situation I know I can help out with then I would step in to do something regardless of it being friend or stranger.

In regards to the news, what type of information do you think people pay attention to more by majority? the negative or the positive?

But a big unfortunate part about heroism is that what is good or what is evil is purely a subjective thing, and more troublesome then that is if someone did a vigilante act with good intentions and indeed did a good thing they can still get in trouble for doing it in the first place. Not to mention that people are biased regardless of what they might say. So we can't really judge a good thing from a bad. So having superheroes on the street maybe more counterproductive then helpful.