Heroes and Demons

Heroes and Demons



I do not particularly believe in idols. But I do realize that when people have a goal in mind, something they can see and reach towards-to strive for- it helps them achieve that goal. So though I may not believe in blind idol worship of figures, I do believe that it is useful for some people to have heroes. To have an idea of the person you want to be like and to have a role model to aspire to helps to keep one on task. I often find myself thinking about people I admire. When I confront a challenge I will ask what one of my heroes would do. Would they give up? Would they ask for help? Would they blame someone else ? The answer to all three of these tends to always be no- because of what my heroes all have in common- their ideals and principals, which in their cases (and mine as well) include integrity and determination.

This is the point of what I‘m discussing here today. People have heroes for various reasons. Either they are intelligent and realize their heroes reflect their principals and ideals, or they just blindly respect or follow someone for their personality or charm. Though I don’t believe in “following” someone just to follow, I do believe that respecting and admiring someone as a hero is different. I have often found it hard to continue believing what I do, but have found my strength bolstered by simply knowing there are others who believe what I do- who have succeeded in life or even flourished while believing or practicing what I believe in. This is why it is not necessarily needed, but often very useful to have figures to admire or emulate in life. As well, one’s figures of admiration or those who one feels nauseated by show what one’s values and beliefs are. If one is sickened by the founding fathers or sickened by Mao Zedong these feeling show something about who that person is. I want to share a few of my heroes, and a few people I utterly despise.





Andrew Carnegie was a great man who has been debased by liberals throughout history. He was born eighteen thirty five and died in nineteen nineteen. Carnegie came to this country from Scotland. He began working at thirteen earning less than a dollar and a half per week changing spools of thread, he eventually worked his way up that company, joined another, and through various enterprises became the second richest man in the world and created the world’s largest steel company. His family was dirt poor, sharing a hovel with another poor family in his youth. By the time of his death he was donating libraries. This of course is the perfect example of the American dream and power of the individual, but that is inspirational and not the sole reason for why I admire him-though it is some of the reason. Carnegie became wealthy, but didn’t really care for wealth. In fact he was a charitable philanthropist. Now, I don’t believe the rich “should” give the money away, though it was a kind hearted thing for him to do. Rather I respect that he worked for the sake of working, and for goals besides the amassing of wealth. He had pride in his accomplishments and what they allowed him to do. He taught himself much and was an avid proponent of education. I may not agree totally with his views , he was surprisingly rational for his time. He made no excuses for his wealth or achievements, but nonetheless stressed that wealth itself was never his goal. Whether that is true or not we will never truly know. But the fact stands that a logical rational man began life in a hovel in Scotland amid a time of unrest, and died in America as the second richest man in the world with a life’s legacy behind him to be proud of.








Che Guevara was born in 1928 as an Argentinean and died in 1967 believing in a single Hispanic unity. He was born into a life of semi-affluence and took this for granted. Seeing the poor in various nations in south America, he attributed their living conditions to everything BUT facism and control. He detested both Aristocracys and Capitalism. He fought against what he called tyranny- ironically in the name of tyranny in a mask (communism)- and fought with blood and bullets. He was placed in control of the Cuban economy at the height of his power. So dismissive of capitalism was he that he instituted a policy of “moral reward”. Under his policy workers were required to work to meet quotas- not to earn a wage or to their ability. Those who did well did not receive more money, that received a certificate of commendation. Those who failed, had their wages cut. Imagine pulling an eighty hour week and being given a pat on the back “good job buddy, do it again next week”, all the while you are starving and living in a mud shantytown.


When defending his policy he said “"This is not a matter of how many pounds of meat one might be able to eat, or how many times a year someone can go to the beach, or how many ornaments from abroad one might be able to buy with his current salary. What really matters is that the individual feels more complete, with much more internal richness and much more responsibility.”

I don’t know about you guys, but when I don’t have enough pounds of food to eat, I feel pretty incomplete. Especially when I’ve worked hard enough that I’ve earned my food. Not only did he care so much for his seemingly pure ideals which actually killed, he escalated violence spanning continents from South America to Africa. He was an extraordinarily intelligent man, but he let the demon of self righteousness and ignorance take control of him. His life was one that left death, bloodshed, poverty, racism, and hatred in it’s wake. The world is better off without him. Yet for some reason young people today- Hispanics in particular but also many left wing college students and graduates- where his face on their shirts daily. The picture- which we have all seen- has even been hailed as the most famous photo in history. I can atleast take solace however, in the fact that in his death Che has been made into an icon of Capitalism, as these shirts rarely run cheap and could likely not be afforded in nation’s ran by his own ideals.

Share with me some people you love and hate, and share why you feel how you do about them. Maybe by doing this you will learn something about yourself.












Andrew link on wiki for ---- think and grow rich

+++and adding to that the ideas of :tulpas, mantras, images, reinforcing ideas and desires with posters, statues, written messages etc.