Are heroes born or made? Role models and training can prepare ordinary people to take heroic action

Heroes take a personal risk for the common good. Some people may just be born with the personality traits of a hero – but anyone can get ready to act heroically.

By: Catherine A. Sanderson, Amherst College, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: March 3, 2026

Words: 1,306

Last Updated: 1 week ago

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By Catherine A. Sanderson, Amherst College

Three young Americans – Anthony Sadler, Alek Skarlatos and Spencer Stone – successfully tackled a gunman on a train in France, saving passengers.

The journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna reported on Ukrainian citizens held unlawfully by Russia; she was captured and died in detention in Russia.

Welles Crowther, often known as the “man in the red bandana,” was a 24-year-old equities trader who guided numerous people in …

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