Growing up, we used to look up to someone famous. Usually, it is because we admire their achievements and also their traits. We wanted to be like them.
For example, someone who looks up to Bruce Lee would like to train like him. They go to the gym, eat healthily, and train for martial arts.
We read their books. We put their poster on the wall. We stick their quote as wallpaper on our phones as well as computers.
As we grow older in the work environment, we find another hero; it can be your boss, manager, CEO, VP, etc. We then dream of being like them in 3–5 years. It drives us to chase our dreams.
But, newly found heroes are different from childhood heroes because the recent one is relatable.
You can meet them in person and know how they think and behave, what food they eat, how they work, and how they present themselves in appearance and communication.
Without noticing, you are starting to become like them. You begin to dress and speak like them.
“The problem with heroes is that they can trigger an obsession to emulate their success without questioning if it aligns with our values. This can lead us down a different path, causing us to become inauthentic to who we truly are.”
Luke Skywalker is a lucky young Jedi with a hero like Master Yoda, who is aligned with whatever he’s pursuing, in this case, to become a Jedi.
However, not everyone would find a hero like Master Yoda because many of us select heroes based on their external achievements without fully understanding the internal values and sacrifices that come with such success.
This emulation becomes a double-edged sword.
On one hand, it inspires us to push beyond our limits and achieve great things.
On the other hand, it can cause us to suppress our true selves in pursuit of an ideal that may not be suited for us.
We might find ourselves chasing a career, lifestyle, or goal that doesn’t fulfill us simply because it’s what our hero would do.
The key to navigating this hero worship is self-awareness.
It’s crucial to reflect on what specifically we admire in our heroes.
Is it their resilience, creativity, leadership style, or something else?
Once we identify these traits, we can work on developing them in a way that aligns with our values and life context.
It’s about drawing inspiration from our heroes, not becoming carbon copies of them.
Who were your heroes when you were growing up?
