I Want to Be Your Hero, Maybe!
RAKEL BLÖNDAL SVEINSDÓTTIR
Sucking at something is the first step to being sorta good at something.
—JAKE THE DOG
Looking down at the puny figure before him, the giant’s brow furrows.
“That’ll be $19.95, or two giant dollars, if you prefer.”
The massive monster thrust his hands into pockets the size of swimming pools. Sheepishly, he offers the boy standing on the ground before him one giant dollar.
“It’s alls I gotz.”
“Mr. Giagantorhills, isn’t it? I don’t think that I’ve been clear,” replies the boy, pointedly polishing his grass blade sword. “You asked for my help. I dispatched the What-wolves that were harassing you. And, now, you owe me two giant dollars . . .”
The little dog next to the boy looks uncomfortable. “Dude, maybe we should let this one slide. . . . One giant dollar is a lot of money for this bloke. And it was a pretty easy gig. We are awesome, right? We used to do stuff like this all the time, for free. We’re heroes. . . .”
Finn doesn’t bother to look at the little dog. “Look man, if you are going to be all down on my stuff and math, you can just head home. This monster is going to pay what he owes, or I’ll have to make an example of him,” sparing a meaningful glance up at the cowering giant.
“But that’s alls I g . . .”
Finn’s blade comes to rigid attention as our hero’s patience ends. Jake jumps aside, a hair’s breadth away from becoming a good deal less stretchy, as the boy swings the sword back and leaps forward. The giant doesn’t have time to even brace himself. “It’s Payment Time!”
“Awww . . . yeah?”
You can save hundreds of lives and not be a hero, if your only reason for saving the screaming victims is to get paid. But, on the flip side, you can possess the virtues of justice, wisdom and courage, and never find the time and place to actually act like a hero! And, so, it ends up counting for nothing. When do you actually become a hero? Is it when you save the day, or is it something in your heart? To that question, Finn would answer: “Did you hear that? Someone is in trouble! Let’s go, Jake!”
The True Hero
Makes Sense: You Do Bad Stuff, I Punish You!
—FINN
The basic concept of the true hero is someone, like Finn, who’s motivated by shared sense of the public good. He takes responsibility for the lives and circumstances of those around him. It seems like a hero is someone whose actions and efforts improve the lives of others—someone who defends against hostile forces regardless of personal risk or gain. Finn certainly seems to have those qualities.
Remember way back when Finn saved the Candy Kingdom from the zombies, all the while he kept the threat a secret to make sure the candy people didn’t explode in fear? To cover up the mess with her failed decorpsinator serum, Princess Bubblegum “throws a slumber party” and she and Finn play loud music to keep the candy people from hearing the zombies growling outside of the castle. Because, annoyingly enough, when candy people get scared, they explode!
When the zombies invade the castle, Finn quickly blindfolds the candy people, hands them wooden sticks and gets them thinking it’s time for the piñatas and orders them to start smashing away. “I’m hanging the piñatas . . . They are all around you! Smash the piñatas!” Through fantastic ingenuity he gets much needed help stopping the zombies without the candy people seeing the danger and exploding. Finn saves the day yet again—“trust pound”!
A virtuous hero is not a hero by accident! A virtuous hero must intentionally, and selflessly, uphold moral virtues like kindness, ingenuity, justice, compassion, love, and peace—knowing the full risks and consequences of his actions. In other words, a knee-jerk reaction, like running into a building to save a friend in danger isn’t the best description of a heroic action. When Finn saves the candy people, he does so knowing the danger, and he chooses to stand by them, even in the face of likely failure. In the world outside of Ooo, we have seen this kind of heroism in civil rights movements, democracy movements, peace movements, and individual acts of kindness. Heroes are not perfect humans, without blemish or errors. They may not have achieved their goal while alive, but they made a heroic effort to do so.
An ancient saying goes: “Tell me who you admire and I’ll tell you who you are.” Heroes define what values mean and they show us those values in action. Though it sometimes is a lesson we learn a bit backwards. . . . Like when Finn meets Billy the Hero, Finn learns an important lesson: Sometimes our heroes don’t have the virtues we’d hoped for. And, so, we have to determine our own path and purpose to become a true hero. Finn learns this painfully, though, after experiencing a disappointing encounter with his own lifelong hero, Billy.
The Limitations of Rules
I’m Going to Blow Your Minds.
—FINN
For many people, the fundamental question of ethics is “What should I do?” or “How should I act?” Ethics is supposed to provide us with moral principles or universal rules that tell us what to do. This sometimes means following rules like the Ten Commandments. But there are lots of ethical rules that don’t have anything to do with religion. John Stuart Mill helped to develop a system of ethics called Utilitarianism. Really there’s only one rule: “Everyone is obligated to do whatever will achieve the greatest good for the greatest number.” Then again, there’s also the system developed by Immanuel Kant (1724–1804) who wanted all of us to follow the rule, “Everyone is obligated to respect the dignity and moral rights of all persons.” He believed that we should follow the rules even if it led to bad consequences. As Kant said, “Let justice be done, though the world perish.”
Moral rules are not the only way to think of ethics, though! The problem is that one rule, or even a set of rules, can’t take every situation into account. It’s hard to figure out what the Ten Commandments, Utilitarianism, and Kantianism have to say about human cloning or killing zombies to save candy people! That’s why some people think that ethics, and being a true hero is more than slavishly following moral rules that would have us constantly checking our every action against a table of do’s and don’ts. We should not focus so much on the question of, “What should I do?” but instead “Who should I be?” Finn comes across this kind of challenge when he must decide whether to follow his great hero Billy’s advice to give up on violence as a way to fight evil.
Virtue ethics deals with exactly that question: “Who should I be?” Virtue ethicists try to figure out not just how a hero acts, but who a hero is. The key to being a hero, or just a plain ol’ good person, is looking at your character. In virtue ethics, there are certain ideals, like excellence and dedication to the common good, toward which we should strive. It’s those virtues—kindness, bravery, diligence, compassion, and so on—that allow the full development of our humanity. These ideals are discovered through thoughtful reflection on what we as humans have the potential to become.
The philosopher Martha Nussbaum says that in order to truly unleash human potential, we must bear in mind the idea of the citizen as a free and dignified person and that everyone is of equal dignity and worth, no matter where they are situated in society. Therefore becoming virtuous is a matter of the common good. Being a virtuous hero is a matter of good heroic practice and respect for the worth of others.
Practical Reason
But Strength isn’t your strength. Adorable cuteness is!
—FINN
What virtues are key to becoming a hero? Virtues are the attitudes, dispositions, and character traits that enable us to act in ways that develop every creature’s best potential, not just our own. Virtues enable us to pursue the ideals we have adopted. Courage, compassion, honesty, generosity, fidelity, self-control and prudence are classic examples of virtues. Those virtues help us achieve the ideals that we believe are worthy. Being brave, for example, helps Finn create a world free of evil monsters. His bravery guides him and helps him achieve a common good for everyone. And how do we develop those traits of character? As Aristotle explained, a person can improve his character by practicing self-discipline, and virtues are developed through learning and practice. By practicing the virtues, they become habits—they become our character.
Classic character building in literature often symbolizes the child as somebody who brings on a new beginning, like Finn. He seeks to help the good regain control in the chaotic, post-apocalyptic aftermath of the Great Mushroom War, bringing new hope to the good citizens of Ooo. But there is the slight twist in Finn being a child. . . . Finn hasn’t fully developed his ability to reason.
Aristotle argues that both children and adults can have good intentions, but the child lacks practical reason. Because of that lack of full reasoning, children are more prone to messing up. Finn, as a child, lacks full understanding of how to do what he intends and the consequences of his actions, due to too little experience. When Finn rids the house people of Donny the obnoxious grass ogre, he’s unable to foresee the consequences of his action. When removing Donny he is exposing the house people to the even worse threat of the “Why-wolves.” Finn ends up messing up the course of nature itself!
Even so, Finn possesses some virtues (or virtue-like traits) such as tenderness, bravery, and empathy. The only thing that ever really gets in the way of his heroism is his childishness and lack of foresight. Remember how Finn foolishly gets lured in to stealing a chest of gold for Penny in the City of Thieves? Had he used his practical reason and listened to the advice of the old lady he would have suspected that Penny was lying and that the whole setup was a trick. But, as Jake says, “sucking at something is the first step to being sorta good at something.” So even though he’s not quite there yet, Finn is on the right path! Keeping up the good work will get him where he wants to be—the quest of becoming a good character is a bumpy ride, one must practice and fail to become virtuous and great.
You mess up-ed, Billy!
—FINN
Finn ages in real time, and we can follow his journey from a boy to teenager, and watch him gain experience and wisdom all the while improving his character and becoming more knowledgeable and virtuous. But what are Finn and Jake really fighting for, and why are they so willing to risk their lives for the cause?
A virtue ethicist would answer: “They seek the good life.” Which doesn’t mean being rich and comfortable. It means living a life of true virtue and fulfillment. But can it possibly be that simple? There is of course a higher purpose that we learn about in “Memories of Boom Boom Mountain.” Here for the first time we meet a baby Finn, who helplessly gets stuck to a huge leaf lying in his own “boom boom.” For a while nobody helps Finn, and because of that he remembers his experience as awful. Finn vows to help everyone in need no matter how small their problem is: “At least I have to try!”
The character traits of an epic hero are usually traits of morality, wisdom, strength, courage, and dedication to a cause. Epic heroes have a sense of purpose or duty. They typically fight for things that are good, worthwhile, or noble. They may seek knowledge, truth, enlightenment, or even immortality. Often they battle for honor and justice because of an experience that teaches them the importance of both. Like Finn and his memory of being left helpless, stuck in his own boom boom, virtuous heroes are driven by the lessons they have learned to change the world. That drive is what sends them on their quests.
The Quest to Be a Hero
Why’d you leave me out in the woods when I was a little baby?
—FINN
Finn sure seems driven to help others ever since his trauma as a child, but is Finn a true hero? Well no, not yet. He is still too immature, but with some time and work, he could be. I believe that Finn is on a quest to become a genuine hero; his intentions are great, and he should continue to work on his character to become more mature in order to be the hero he wishes to be. He already has the moral foundation; it’s only a matter of time and experience. While some heroes quest for justice, others quest for gold, and still others quest for eternal youth, Finn is on a truly admirable quest, the quest to be a real hero!
Adventure Time is teaching us something about morals. Maybe we can, just by watching, reflect our own virtues—learning to act right, through Finn’s achievements and failures. Nussbaum has written about the effects popular culture can have on our moral education. She describes the way it can, through it’s often very theatrical story lines and situations, help us understand how to act right in a similar (though less extreme) situations in real life. We can make out small nuances of right and wrong when watching or reading about an exaggerated situation like the ones we see in Adventure Time.
We may never fight zombified candy people, but we run into a lot of ethical questions every day, from what kind of animal to kill and eat, to which dictator to help overthrow, to what sweatshop we want to purchase our sneakers from. Who to vote for, what to buy, and how to treat our families are all important ethical questions we deal with regularly. And it is our decision if we are going to be heroes, like Finn, or the villains of our own adventure.
Heroic Motivation
You have more fluff than sense!
—FINN
So, is there something special to being a hero? Something more than profit and gain? Psychologists who have studied that kind of stuff claim there might be signs indicating that heroes are different from the rest of us. They think that heroes have a higher level of empathy and compassion as well as other key characteristics that contribute to heroic behavior. People who rush in to help others in the face of danger and adversity do so because they genuinely care about the safety and well-being of other people.
A study on the social psychology of heroic actions performed by psychologists Franco and Zimbardo found that people who have heroic tendencies also possess a much higher degree of empathy than regular non-heroic people. They suggest that heroes aren’t just compassionate and caring; but also able to see things from the perspective of others, and can “walk a mile in another man’s shoes.”
Jake, who’s an older hero than Finn, is aware of the power of empathy (well, sometimes). He’s the one who teaches the “Empathy Song” to Donny the grass ogre to make him think about the feelings of others. But empathy isn’t just knee-jerk feeling what other’s feel, which Finn already seems to have. It’s also the ability to step back, reflect, and purposefully imagine yourself in the shoes of someone else. That reflection, that practical reason, seems to require both the natural skill and the desire to understand others!
Heroism also takes self-confidence and courage to rush in where others fear to tread. To do this it seems that people who perform heroic acts tend to feel confident in themselves and their abilities. When faced with a crisis, they have a true belief in that they are capable of handling the challenge and achieving success no matter what the odds. Part of this confidence comes from above-average coping skills and abilities to manage stress. Finn and Jake have a lot of self-confidence and when the situation demands it they stand together cheering each other on, which make them a solid team. “Aw Yeah!”
Zimbardo and Franco also argue that heroes have two important qualities which set them apart from non-heroes: they live by their values and they’re willing to endure personal risk to protect those values. In many cases, heroic individuals also tend to have a higher tolerance for risk. Plenty of caring and kind people might shrink back in the face of danger but those who do leap into action are typically more likely to take greater risks in multiple aspects of their lives. Persistence is another quality commonly shared by heroes. People identified as heroes are often more likely to put a positive spin on negative events. When faced with a potentially life-threatening illness, people with heroic tendencies might focus on the good that might come from the situation like renewed appreciation for life or an increased closeness with loved ones.
Finn is excellent at seeing the positive in every situation like for example in “Slumber Party Panic” after surviving a harrowing ordeal including something resembling a zombie apocalypse and ending up accidentally breaking a royal promise he made to Princess Bubblegum with dire consequences, he’s still able to see the fun in it all. Finn’s take on the whole situation is an appreciation of the fun he had while solving the problem: “So what is the lesson of breaking a royal promise? It’s simple; you get to fight zombies, throw slumber parties, awaken the Gumball Guardians and reverse death itself.” Which reveals yet another aspect of heroism—the awesomeness the hero himself or herself is allowed to feel after a job well done, and heroism therefore comes with a built-in motivation.
How Nobly You Live
Stop talking like a nerd and give it to us straight!
—FINN
So should we all try to be heroes or just leave it to those who’re born to be heroes? Is it as simple, and perhaps as sad, as realizing that true heroes are pretty much destined to be that way? Heroes give us something substantial both inside and outside of Ooo. Rather than spending their time seeking fame and fortune, they’re actually living out values whether we’re watching or not. A true hero isn’t directing attention to himself, but to something greater, the common good for the citizens of the world. But fret not! Remember Aristotle. The virtues of heroism are habits. And we can learn habits! The first step to being a hero, then, is realizing we suck cabbage at being heroes. Then, like any good hero, we take the risk of making a change!
Why do we need moral heroes? Because our world is in need of people who will stand in the gap, stand up for each other, setting a great example and making the world a better place while doing it. And, what should we learn from Finn? He would tell us to “keep trying!” It’s all a matter of trial and error. Do your best, learn from your mistakes, and with time your best will be great, and remember the words of the Stoic writer Seneca: “What matters most is, not how long you live, but how nobly you live.” But we need more than just Finn and Jake to guide us, we need all of the heroes of Ooo, in their many shapes and sizes, and we need you!
We need to seek out and remember heroes because in order to become moral heroes ourselves, we need to see those values lived out by people who are just as human as ourselves (although perhaps a bit more heroic). My obvious answer is, “YES!” we should definitely all try to be heroes, because it is that effort at the heart of heroism.
If a thirteen-year-old boy living in an apocalyptic wasteland can make it his goal to help others, can’t we do the same? Really, when you think about it, the difference between most of us and Finn isn’t courage, strength, loyalty, or wisdom so much as it is the desire to be a hero. And, if you listen closely, watch carefully, and pay attention, you can hear faint cries for help off in the distance. . . . It’s your call, what are you going to do, hero?