Definition of 'Hero' Has Changed Over Time

When Ashley Smith returned to her Duluth, Ga., home around 2 a.m. Saturday after running to a convenience store for a pack of cigarettes, she was just another young woman with a troubled past seemingly destined to live her life in anonymity.

That all changed over the next several hours. By the end of the day the widowed mother of a daughter had her name affixed to one of the most grandiose descriptions possible _ hero.

She had faced down Brian Nichols, the suspected killer of three people in Atlanta, who had taken her hostage. She plied him with pancakes and biblical quotes before leaving him to call police and getting him to surrender peacefully.

Ashley Smith is a relatively new sort of hero in the American pantheon, a club that once was the exclusive province of military men, baseball players and daring explorers. She is the common person, confronted by an uncommon threat, who firmly established herself as a symbol of great courage.

"She was at a very high level of uncertainty; it's hard to imagine what she was going through there," said Frank Farley, a psychologist at Temple University in Philadelphia who has conducted extensive study on heroism. "But it looks like she did fabulous work."

Smith has emerged as a hero, Farley said, because her actions "stand out against the backdrop of everyday behavior.

"Role models, or heroes, are very important in each person's life," said Farley, former president of the American Psychological Association. "It goes way back in human history. One of the most powerful forms of learning in children is modeling your behavior after someone else, or aspects of their behavior. We admire people who make a difference."

Gail Evenari, project director of the Heroism Project in California, dedicated to strengthening society by fostering values like integrity and courage, said, "We've always had heroes in one way or another.

"I think it's because their example causes us to strive to be a better person," Evenari said. "I have a young daughter now and I think it's important to have people who offer the ideals and qualities and actions that I want her to aspire to. Not someone who is making the most money or anything like that, but someone who has made an enduring commitment to something they believe in that betters humanity in some way and is willing to make sacrifices to that end."

Jeanne Meyers, who assisted in the development of the My Hero Project, also in California, said it is important in society to "put a spotlight on people" who achieve great things.

"We learn by the example of others," she said. "As we illuminate the people who have done great things or heroic deeds, the global community can follow in their footsteps."

The definition of what constitutes a hero has developed over the ages, Farley said. In the past people idolized political figures like the president or religious figures like the pope. But while those famous people may continue to be idolized in some quarters, they are no longer guaranteed a seat at the hero's table.

Americans have developed "a richer sense of heroism than in times past" that doesn't necessarily incorporate military leaders or individuals who boast of grand physical achievements. Heroes are increasingly being embraced for intellectual or courageous achievements, although traditional heroes can be recognized as well.

"Our concepts have changed," Farley said. "We have a more sensitive concept of the hero. If you ask people who their heroes are, you frequently find Mother Teresa and Gandhi on the list. They never won a war or anything. In fact, Gandhi sparked the whole non-violent movement. But he is often viewed as a hero."

Farley said as a result of his research he has identified a number of traits in heroes: courage and strength; a kind, loving generous nature; skillfulness and intelligence; honesty; public affection; and risk taking. Smith appears to fill all the criteria.

"Some people would have been paralyzed by fear," he said. "She must have shown all these traits and melted this guy with intelligence, skill and expertise. I'm sure the outpouring of affection for this young woman is going to be phenomenal, and risk taking, oh my god, she was right in the thick of uncertainty and risk and navigated it marvelously."

Smith, Farley said, appears to be a "situational" hero, a person who achieves something great that doesn't constitute her life story. Martin Luther King represented another kind of heroism, a lifelong hero whose entire life was testament to his position among the immortals.

And then there are the professional heroes, firefighters, police, emergency personnel and soldiers who are willing to place their lives on the line. That spirit is captured by those who perished in the 9/11 tragedy.

As might be expected, Smith deflects claims that she is a hero.

"It's natural to focus on the conclusion of any story, but my role was really very small in the grand scheme of things," she said in a statement. "The real heroes are the judicial and law enforcement officials who gave their lives and those who risked their lives to bring this to an end."

Copyright 2005 Scripps Howard News Service

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