Get Rid of the Mask!

[Nahum]

"No man, for any considerable period, can wear one face to himself and another to the multitude, without finally getting bewildered as to which may be the true." Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter

I think I'm safe in saying that instability is not a trait anyone admires. In fact, most story-book plots revolve around heroes who are strong-willed, unwavering, and resolute. You know, I can admire a hero who internally questions the direction he should take. But my choice to continue to admire him is based on how he handles those internal conflicts. To remain my hero he needs to do what's right, and doing what's right sometimes requires him to abandon what he wants, for the greater good of everyone else around him.


Real heroes aren't flip-floppers. Real heroes aren't two-faced. Real heroes don't fold like a napkin when the going gets tough. No, real heroes - though nagged with self-doubt - give it all they've got, even when the battle is hot and reinforcements are nowhere to be found. Real heroes commit themselves to a cause and stick with it. Real heroes realize that no great battle is ever won by quitting.