The idol of today pushes the hero of yesterday out of our recollection; and will, in turn, be supplanted by read more

The idol of today pushes the hero of yesterday out of our recollection; and will, in turn, be supplanted by his successor of tomorrow.

No heroine can create a hero through love of one, but she can give birth to one.

No heroine can create a hero through love of one, but she can give birth to one.

The more characteristic American hero in the earlier day, and the more beloved type at all times, was not the read more

The more characteristic American hero in the earlier day, and the more beloved type at all times, was not the hustler but the whittler.

The opportunities for heroism are limited in this kind of world: the most people can do is sometimes not to read more

The opportunities for heroism are limited in this kind of world: the most people can do is sometimes not to be as weak as they've been at other times.

Listen, my friend, there are two races of beings. The masses teeming and happy -- common clay, if you like read more

Listen, my friend, there are two races of beings. The masses teeming and happy -- common clay, if you like -- eating, breeding, working, counting their pennies; people who just live; ordinary people; people you can't imagine dead. And then there are the others -- the noble ones, the heroes. The ones you can quite well imagine lying shot, pale and tragic; one minute triumphant with a guard of honor, and the next being marched away between two gendarmes.

Heroism on command, senseless violence, and all the loathsome nonsense that goes by the name of patriotism -how passionately I read more

Heroism on command, senseless violence, and all the loathsome nonsense that goes by the name of patriotism -how passionately I hate them!

The characteristic of genuine heroism is its persistency. All men have wandering impulses, fits and starts of generosity. But when read more

The characteristic of genuine heroism is its persistency. All men have wandering impulses, fits and starts of generosity. But when you have resolved to be great, abide by yourself, and do not try to reconcile yourself with the world. The heroic cannot be common, nor the common heroic.

Firemen are going to get killed. When they join the department they face that fact. When a man becomes a read more

Firemen are going to get killed. When they join the department they face that fact. When a man becomes a fireman his greatest act of bravery has been accomplished. What he does after that is all in the line of work. They were not thinking of getting killed when they went where death lurked. They went there to put the fire out, and got killed. Firefighters do not regard themselves as heroes because they do what the business requires.

What with making their way and enjoying what they have won, heroes have no time to think. But the sons read more

What with making their way and enjoying what they have won, heroes have no time to think. But the sons of heroes -- ah, they have all the necessary leisure.