In affective neuroscience, admiration activates what Jaak Panksepp called the SEEKING system – the drive toward meaning, purpose, and becoming. Heroes give that drive a shape.
Who They Aspire To Become
Heroes – the people we look up to reveal the people we're trying to become. Admiration is aspiration in disguise.
Heroes
A person admired for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities
— Oxford English Dictionary
"The ones everyone knows: Robin Williams, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Heath Ledger – artists who struggled deep down and showed up anyway. The ones who know me: the friends scattered through these pages who trusted me with how they feel."
— Lachlan
Why This Matters
Who someone admires reveals what they value – and what they aspire to become. Heroes come in all shapes, sizes and forms: the concept is connected by admiration for another individual(s) qualities or achievements. Asking someone who their hero is tells you more about ambition and self-conception than anything they say directly.
“You’re only given a little spark of madness. You mustn’t lose it.”
“The truth is, we know so little about life, we don’t really know what the good news is and what the bad news is.”
“If you’re just safe about the choices you make, you don’t grow.”
“I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”
“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”