“Heroes: What and Who Makes Them Great”

George Goethals and Scott Allison

10/28/11

Randolph-Macon College will host Drs. Scott T. Allison and George R. Goethals, who will present “Heroes: What and Who Makes Them Great,” on Thursday, November 10, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. in the Copley Science Center, Room 100.

Abraham Lincoln, Princess Diana, Rick in Casablanca—why do we perceive certain people as heroes? What qualities do we see in them? What must they do to win our admiration? Allison and Goethals offer a stimulating tour of the psychology of heroism, shedding light on what heroism and villainy mean to most people and why heroes—both real people and fictional characters—are so vital to our lives.

Allison and Goethals are the authors of Heroes: What They Do and Why We Need Them (Oxford University Press, 2010). The book discusses a broad range of heroes, including Eleanor Roosevelt, Walt Kowalski in Gran Torino, Senator Ted Kennedy, and explorer Ernest Shackleton, plus villains such as Shakespeare’s Iago.

The authors highlight the Great Eight traits of heroes (smart, strong, selfless, caring, charismatic, resilient, reliable, and inspiring) and outline the mental models that we have of how people become heroes, from the underdog who defies great odds (David vs. Goliath) to the heroes who redeem themselves or who overcome adversity. Allison and Goethals provide an illuminating look at heroes—and into our own minds as well.

This event is free and open to the public.

For more information, contact Pam Cox (804) 752-3712, pamelacox@rmc.edu or Anne Marie Lauranzon (804) 752-7317, alauranz@rmc.edu.