It’s cool to see old movies where nobody had a cell phone, where people in a restaurant are talking to each other, or where people on a busy sidewalk are paying attention to what’s happening around them. The smart phone is the great isolator of this generation. People right next to each other are no more aware of each other than if they were 1000 miles away from each other.
Everyone is a hero?
I remember when we used to have an assortment of words for people who did good things. If someone found a wallet and returned it to its owner we would call that person honest. If a kind person aided a motorist having car trouble we call that person helpful. If a shopper paid for another shopper’s groceries we would say that person was generous. Today the word “hero” would be used in all cases. It is so overused as to have nearly lost its meaning.
“Hero” is no longer reserved for a relatively few soldiers, police officers, or firefighters who have engaged in extraordinary acts of selfless courage. Its use is now broader. All veterans are considered heroes regardless of when, where, or how they served. All members of law enforcement are heroes just for wearing the uniform. Even people who don’t wear uniforms can be heroes for just being nice.
Don’t get me wrong. I believe in heroes. They don’t even have to wear uniforms, but they do have to do something more than ordinary good deeds. Otherwise, what will the word be for someone who sacrifices everything to save someone else? Super hero?
Opposition doesn’t diminish truth
The number of people who oppose you has no bearing on the truth. If something is true, it is true. On the other hand, popularity of falsehood doesn’t make it true.