The Heroic Narrative

Dave Girgenti wonders why humans are infatuated with “being good” in his heroic narrative speech. Inspired by tragic events such as September 11th and Hurricane Katrina, Girgenti was unsure of how to contribute to the relief efforts. He eventually built a platform to connect people who needed help with people with the resources to offer that aid, titled ‘Wish Upon a Hero.’  To date, the platform boasts over 100,000 helpful deeds.

Through his experience with ‘Wish Upon a Hero,’ Girgenti has come to several conclusions. He speculates that people are emotionally connected through causes (such as cancer or autism), location (the closer you are, the more connected you will be) and social factors. He also hypothesizes that the easier it is to provide help, the more people will be willing to dispense it, which is why a simple platform like ‘Wish Upon a Hero’ is so successful.

The perpetuation of hero-ism in film, comics and other popular culture leave us with a desire to be “everyday heroes,” but Girgenti leaves the audience to contemplate whether or not humanity is “taught” to be good or whether it is an instinctive trait.