The Tragedy of Hero Worship

Human beings are strange creatures. We praise great people, raise slogans in their name, and deliver grand speeches about them. But when it comes to doing something ourselves, we suddenly begin to feel small and powerless.

Since childhood, we are taught to write essays on great men and women of the past. We are told to admire them, memorize their achievements, and repeat their words. But rarely does anyone tell us: “Do something meaningful in your life that one day people may write books and essays about you too.”

Perhaps that is why so many of us have become copycats. We worship B. R. Ambedkar, Abraham Lincoln, and Gautama Buddha, yet we hesitate to walk even a fraction of the path they walked. We praise those who changed humanity, but rarely ask ourselves what we can do to reduce suffering, fight injustice, or leave the world a little better than we found it.