We Are Always Underdogs To Our Ideals

Continuing from my previous post, I find hero worship to be a strange behavior. We seem to care exclusively for the underdog. We love a person with a compelling backstory and an unquenchable desire to be the best. We love seeing them face all the hurdles and pass them just barely. We cheer the loudest when they finally meet the top dog and take that position for themselves. But then what happens?

When the underdog becomes the top dog, we lose interest. We stop caring about them and excitedly search for the next underdog who can dethrone the person we once cheered on.

In a world of people, where the top dog is a fellow person, this pattern can repeat for as long as humans exist. However, when you consider that the "ideal" hero exists only in the aether, then the top dog is intangible.

This presents an interesting concept. All humans are underdogs, no matter how high up they go. Regardless of their achievements, the ideal hero would have done better, would have achieved more, wouldn't have worried or complained about it. In this mental state, all humans are laudable, no matter how much they achieve, as long as they are trying.

I really like this view. It can be a difficult mental state to always think that you aren't good enough, but it can also be an inspirational one, having the sense of purpose in life that accompanies the belief that there is always something to do.