Ralph Waldo Emerson Quotes

Heroes are those who can somehow resist the power of the situation and act out of noble motives, or behave in ways that do not demean others when they easily can.

Let us all be brave enough to die the death of a martyr, but let no one lust for martyrdom.

Physical bravery is an animal instinct; moral bravery is much higher and truer courage.

None meet life honestly and few heroically.

I think on some level, that's a fear that exists in everybody, that if we're tested, we won't make the courageous choice. We won't make the decision that would make us heroic. We make the decision that would reveal us to be all too human.

Virtues, like viruses, have their seasons of contagion. When catastrophe strikes, generosity spikes like a fever. Courage spreads in the face of tyranny.

And as a child I was filled with passionate admiration for acts of civic courage I had seen performed by an elderly military doctor, who was a friend of my family.

It is part of a good man to do great and noble deeds, though he risk everything.

Heroes represent the best of ourselves, respecting that we are human beings. A hero can be anyone from Gandhi to your classroom teacher, anyone who can show courage when faced with a problem. A hero is someone who is willing to help others in his or her best capacity.

You know, heroes are ordinary people that have achieved extraordinary things in life.

To be a hero or a heroine, one must give an order to oneself.

Heroism is a matter of choice.

I'm simply saying that heroes are people whose activities, whose attitudes, and whose judgment you just think, 'Wow. That's good. That's right. That's real.'

It's not easy to be a hero. You do it because of what you believe, not because of what other people deserve.

Dad had a huge influence on me. I really look up to him for his brave acts. He was an outspoken man. For him, if it was the right thing, he would stand up for the smallest guy around him.

A hero could be anyone who does something heroic, irrespective of the gender.

I jumped on the grenade that was thrown at myself and my friend. I don't recommend it.

Being a hero doesn’t mean you’re invincible. It just means that you’re brave enough to stand up and do what’s needed.

There is a need for heroism in American life today.

In a career playing heroes, I learned a little about the real thing. A hero stands up-for himself, for herself, but most importantly for others.

Even if you've been a coward all your life, death is a heroic act.

We humans have a powerful instinct to flee from peril. It takes a special kind of courage, a deep sense of duty, and extraordinary character to overcome these impulses and - for the sake of others - to run toward the danger.

Martin Luther King didn't know he was going to have a day named after him; Muhammad Ali didn't know he was going to be the people's champion. He was doing what he was doing because it was right.

Perhaps the right to authenticity and the reverence of authenticity should be reserved for people like John McCain. John McCain who at his most authentic chose to stay and face years of torture rather than leave before his brothers.

I'm a real-life action hero.