The One

I have always been a fan of heroic tales. May it be fictional or real-life depictions; I have noticed that these tales nearly always follow a path. The one thing that universally stands out as being self-evident is sacrifice. Nearly all heroic tales carry within themselves a strong message of sacrifice and selfless benevolence. All of them comprise of characters that portray the varied shades of human tendency; but there is always one hero, who carries himself with a super-human poise and greater-than-self purpose. Even though these heroic tales are mostly comprised of fictional accounts, we can find real-life examples that relate strongly with the concept of benevolence, sacrifice and heroism.

Through the years, nearly all of another, or us, at one time have heard the tale of Superman. The tantalizing rendition of a young Clark Kent maturing into a super-human entity is heart wrenching and spellbinding at the same time. Whenever we take into account any heroic act, we are awed by the resolve and capability of the individual who commits it. We often marvel at their greatness, silently thinking to ourselves that such people only exist in fictional tales. But if fact be stated, then truth in stranger than fiction, and if we but look keenly amongst ourselves, we will surely find many heroes walking by.

So how does an ordinary human being transform into a superhero? How does a young Clark Kent grow up to be Superman? The answers to the aforementioned questions are indeed hard to fathom. However, to put it simply it would suffice to say that every individual has within himself the traits that make up a superhero. Every individual has within himself the power to be superhero; but then what is that one key factor that truly differentiates the ‘man’ from the ‘superman’? What is that one key factor that differentiated Clark Kent from Superman?

The answer to the question is ‘understanding’ . Most of us are completely unaware of the fact that it takes great personal resolve and undying desire to become extraordinary. Most of us forget that it takes a great amount of understanding to go beyond the self-centered way of life; that it takes great amount of pain to sacrifice personal desires for the sake of others. Why does it happen that in the end, the super-hero never gets the love of his life? Why does it happen that the hero is left all alone in the end? The answers to those questions lie in the fact that to pursue a loftier purpose, to aspire for a greater goal, an individual always needs to sacrifice the lesser desires; the hero always needs to sacrifice personal needs for the greater good of mankind.

“The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few; or the one”

The aforementioned quote from Star Trek clearly puts through the point that I have been trying to make in this glorious monologue. In the end, it all comes down to one single thing; personal sacrifice. To achieve the greater good of mankind; to achieve a loftier purpose, the seeker needs to shed away his humane desires and be oriented towards his purpose. Only through persistent resolve and great fortitude, can this feat be achieved. Often it would happen that in the benevolent service of mankind, the seeker would receive neither recognition nor reward. However, irrespective of the personal gain that it yields him, the seeker needs to incessantly work for the greater good of mankind.

In the end, that incessant resolve and the undying spirit of sacrifice would make him a true hero; the same qualities that were showcased in Frodo, Peter Parker, Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne. The same indestructible spirit of selfless benevolence that was portrayed by Jesus Christ; the greatest superhero of all time…

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1 Comment

  • By medha, March 17, 2010 @ 9:06 am

    A good article!

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