Hero Homework #3

Opening the Door to the Heroic Habit

Your heroic workout for this week:

Go out of your way to open/hold the door open for someone.

A hero acts voluntarily and at his/her own risk or cost to benefit others, and without any expectation of reward.

The first step in helping others is to notice that someone needs help. The simple act of opening and/or holding a door open for someone, is an easy way to begin cultivating your situational awareness. (SEE PREVIOUS POST: "You’ve Lost that Lovin’ Feelin’"). It also helps you to practice overcoming the hesitation to act that is due to group conformity/social embarrassment. Fear of embarrassment is a particularly significant obstacle to heroic action, and one you must overcome as completely as possible.

I would offer you this twist on an old, old proverb:

A fool, because of his/her petty vanity, does not mind being thought of as a hero; a hero because of his/her lack of petty vanity does not mind being thought of as a fool.

In short, you do what you know is right to do, and to hell with what other people think!

There is this proviso. The Walmart version of “chivalry” is a “gentleman” opening the door for a lovely young woman, giving her a big smile, and generally making a big production out of it.             I would emphasize here that a hero acts with no expectation of reward, and that includes the reward of winning the attention of a sexually desireable other. There’s nothing wrong with accepting a “thank you,” (which allows the other to also practice heroism skills), replying “You’re welcome,” and then moving on. But door opening/holding must NOT be contrived as a flirtation, to launch a seduction, or be done with that purpose in mind.

Any ass might hustle to open a door for a beautiful woman.

A true, heroic gentleman would go out of his way to open a door even for the most wretched, unwashed, muttering old bag-lady.

Sally forth and do likewise.


aac