The discovery that someone we admire has done something wrong is always disappointing and disillusioning. Yet even when people we consider heroes have been tarnished by their faults, they are no less valuable than people who appear perfect. When we learn that an admired person, even one who is seemingly perfect, has behaved in less than admirable ways, we discover a complex truth: great ideas and great deeds come from imperfect people like ourselves.
Assignment: Do we benefit from learning about the flaws of people we admire and respect?
Most of have, at some point in our lives, had a hero that we have looked up to, a role model that has represented a quixotic fantasy of perfection. These figures hold much significance in our daily lives, as we strive to become just as respectable, successful and "perfect" as they are. As a child, I naively envisioned my life as the subsequent chronicle in the Justice League of America, fighting to protect innocent civilians from harm and promoting peace across the globe. These people were never late, they never questioned authority and they effectively lived the most ethical and moral lives possible, an immense achievement indeed. It made me feel like I could do anything, go anywhere, and be whoever I wanted to be, to achieve my individual form of "nirvana". Later in my life, I switched, like many other adolescent teens, to what I saw as the next phase of idealized idolism. Along with millions of other people around the world, I became obsessed with the seemingly omnipotent character of Tiger Woods, a child prodigy that inspired the world to take up a sport that was, for a long time, not even something I would've considered to be playing at the age of 13. However, all of us were dramatically shocked by the tragic news of his adultery that was publicized in every nook and cranny of the media world. All of his fame respect and my view of him as a mentor dissipated in a mere instant of public humiliation, the world would never again look at him the same way. Unfortunately, due to a human mistake, he came crashing down from his utopian pedestal to a mere mortal on the spot. However, we need to think more carefully about why this event was so shocking and devastating. Almost all of this publicity and dismay, stemmed from the fact that he had been living behind of a mask of perfection. I believe that the notion of perfection in itself is inherently flawed, an idealized illusion, that measures us humans against the supernatural and fictional world, much like my characters from the Justice League of America. Therefore, the whole experience was more humbling and inspiring than any other fictional character could ever be, to see a man so human, achieve such greatness. Naturally, no human being should in any way be considered to be without his flaws, to think so would be blind, and I believe that through these mistakes and mishaps, we are able to learn more by seeing these individuals for what they are, and not as a creation of our over-active imaginations.
