Our whole life is built on the fact that every day we do some actions that are not always good. We face constant challenges in life and it can be difficult for us to make good choices, so we may do things we shouldn’t do. Recently, during a lecture on the Ukrainian language, the teacher asked us a question: “What act can be considered heroic?” and he made me think about this question, because I never understood the meaning of the phrase “heroic act”.
We were constantly getting acquainted with various heroes of the works and tried to find heroic deeds in them, but sometimes I did not consider them heroic at all. Here, for example, is the god Zeus, who obtained fire for his people. It would seem that there is such a thing in this, but no, he did a heroic deed, because he understood that without fire his people could perish.
Personally, I believe that few people understand a heroic act, because for certain actions we always expect some kind of reward and it cannot be called heroic. To be honest, I consider heroic those actions after which you do not receive any reward, but your inner state is happy because of what you did. You have many opportunities to help a person and not get any respect for it, but personally for yourself you will understand that you have done a good deed.
I think it is appropriate to mention those people who willingly join the army to defend their country. I have many acquaintances and friends who knew from childhood that they would be the first to stand in the ranks of those who would defend their country against sudden attacks by other states.
I believe that those who can now stand on the border of our country, as well as those who are ready to give their lives for the freedom and independence of their fellow citizens, are heroes. They do not expect any honor, thanks, reward from us, they just do the work that comes from their heart. They have to protect their people only because their hearts tell them to do so. I consider them real heroes, because it is necessary to have great courage and a strong spirit to make a choice for the benefit of the state, and not for the benefit of one’s life and future. Now our country is in a difficult situation and millions of Ukrainians are now fighting against another nation and fighting for their freedom and right to life. They are heroes.
I am proud of Ukrainian defenders, volunteers and other peoples who help us. None of them expects any reward or honor, but they all understand the importance of their help so that we finally win and live in peace and harmony.
I already said that every day we do certain things, but can we call them heroic? For example, you helped an old grandmother carry heavy packages to her entrance – it would seem like an act, but it is just kind, it is simply impossible to call it heroic. And if you saved a person from a fire, this is a heroic act, because you saved a person’s life and did not spare your own. But how to find the same limit when you can consider an act heroic? Personally, I believe that good deeds can be considered heroic only when a person can risk his own life to help others.
I had such a situation when we went on vacation with friends to the river and saw that the little girl could not swim, and her lifebuoy floated away from her somewhere far away, and at the same moment my friend did not hesitate and immediately rushed to the rescue. He pulled the girl out of the river and helped her to start breathing normally, because during this period she choked a lot in the water. I consider this act heroic because he saved the little girl instead of just standing by and watching her drown. That is why, in my opinion, rescuers and firefighters are those people who can safely be called heroes, because they risk their own lives almost every day to save others.
I adore the phrase from the Ukrainian people: “Heroes do not die” and it is true. A situation happened in my life when my best friend’s brother died in the war in Ukraine, he was a military pilot and in March his plane was destroyed by a missile. The guy was very young, he was only 24 years old, but he remained forever in the hearts of each of us and did not die. He is a real hero, because he gave his life for the sake of his family living in peace and harmony.
Therefore, I believe that heroic deeds deserve recognition by humanity, because a person is ready to regret his own life in order to save someone.