Michael Butz

The Next Generation of Heroes and Heroines. Michael Butz

"...there are heroes, heroines, groups and systems that speak to heroics all around us; however, in order to value them we must understand the evolving nature of what it is to be heroic. It is in this way that we will know, and that we may find, a generation of heroes and heroines that will face the challenges that lie ahead." This book is about heroics, plain and simple. But, it is not about the swashbuckling, swaggering, shoot-em' up, go-it-alone, hero of past eras. Nor is it about those celebrities ascribed heroic status solely on the basis of their consumption or media attention. And, it is certainly not a long treatise on heroism from an academic standpoint; nor a pop instant hero recipe. The Next Generation of Heroes and Heroines is a short, thought-provoking book that challenges the idea of what a hero has been, and what a hero will be in the future amid the global challenges facing our societies. The new millennia will require a different type of heroism, a collective heroism, made up of groups of heroes and heroines working in concert with one another to transform the global challenges before us. Prototypes for these kinds of heroics and processes lie in the works of Bion, Campbell, Collins, Jung, the Passengers of United Flight 93 and even the New England Patriots. The Next Generation of Heroes and Heroines does not create a comfortable, "tied up in a bow," set of conclusions or maxims for those willing to consider these journeys. It is too soon for that, this archetype is not yet ready to be defined fully and will require discussion and reflection to create each new permutation on this central theme. The book is a thought piece, an invitation and a challenge to embrace a larger worldview.