1 00:00:21,500 --> 00:00:25,820 Speaker 1: Welcome to Timeless Wisdom with Dennis Prager. Here thousands of 2 00:00:25,860 --> 00:00:29,500 Speaker 1: hours of Dennis's lectures courses in classic radio programs. Had 3 00:00:29,500 --> 00:00:41,700 Speaker 1: to purchase Dennis Prager's Rational Bibles. Go to Dennisprager dot com. 4 00:00:41,820 --> 00:00:45,340 Speaker 2: It's now the traditional time for the rabbi sermon, and 5 00:00:45,580 --> 00:00:48,460 Speaker 2: we will be traditional in two ways. One it will 6 00:00:48,500 --> 00:00:51,860 Speaker 2: be a sermon, but in one way it's not. I'm 7 00:00:51,900 --> 00:00:58,539 Speaker 2: not a rabbi, but I'm worse. I speak longer than 8 00:00:58,620 --> 00:01:02,220 Speaker 2: rabbis do. People ask me often when they book me 9 00:01:02,260 --> 00:01:03,900 Speaker 2: to speak, so how long do you speak? And I 10 00:01:04,020 --> 00:01:06,700 Speaker 2: have this stock answer for about thirty years. I studied 11 00:01:06,740 --> 00:01:11,700 Speaker 2: speaking under Fidel Castro. If you're not aware of why, 12 00:01:11,740 --> 00:01:15,060 Speaker 2: that's funny. Castro speaks for about three hours. And if 13 00:01:15,100 --> 00:01:21,660 Speaker 2: you don't applaud, you die. Speak for three hours. And 14 00:01:21,700 --> 00:01:24,580 Speaker 2: if you don't applaud, you don't die. I die, you 15 00:01:24,620 --> 00:01:27,300 Speaker 2: don't die. No, no, no, And truth is I want. Plus 16 00:01:27,500 --> 00:01:29,860 Speaker 2: it's a shoel and it's not a place for report. 17 00:01:29,940 --> 00:01:33,340 Speaker 2: But at any events, I have a lot to share. 18 00:01:33,420 --> 00:01:37,340 Speaker 2: I work hard on the Russia shutting of Kipper's sermons. 19 00:01:37,940 --> 00:01:40,380 Speaker 2: In fact, the one I gave last year is one 20 00:01:40,420 --> 00:01:43,140 Speaker 2: that really even stuck with me. If I may say 21 00:01:43,180 --> 00:01:47,340 Speaker 2: that in an odd way, I spoke on honoring the 22 00:01:47,660 --> 00:01:52,180 Speaker 2: commandment to honor your parents, and it was particularly I 23 00:01:52,220 --> 00:01:54,300 Speaker 2: didn't know when I was writing it that it would 24 00:01:54,300 --> 00:01:57,660 Speaker 2: be so appropriate given my mother's last day on Earth 25 00:01:58,180 --> 00:02:03,300 Speaker 2: when I gave it, but it was powerful. And I 26 00:02:03,420 --> 00:02:06,820 Speaker 2: just want to say one thing from that that given 27 00:02:06,820 --> 00:02:12,220 Speaker 2: that our parents obviously should precede us, my mother always 28 00:02:12,260 --> 00:02:15,580 Speaker 2: that was one of her lines, parents should die before 29 00:02:15,620 --> 00:02:19,900 Speaker 2: their children. And since in most cases that is what 30 00:02:20,060 --> 00:02:23,980 Speaker 2: happens if you have a difficulty with a parent, and 31 00:02:24,260 --> 00:02:29,380 Speaker 2: that's not uncommon on planet Earth, you never know when 32 00:02:29,420 --> 00:02:31,540 Speaker 2: you'll get a chance, or better, you won't know when 33 00:02:31,540 --> 00:02:35,460 Speaker 2: you won't get a chance to reconcile. So just something 34 00:02:36,460 --> 00:02:39,500 Speaker 2: to keep in mind. I want to talk to you 35 00:02:39,500 --> 00:02:45,780 Speaker 2: about a subject I've actually never addressed in a speech, 36 00:02:46,740 --> 00:02:50,900 Speaker 2: and that is the subject of heroes, of people that 37 00:02:50,980 --> 00:02:55,020 Speaker 2: we put up and in a certain sense, not in 38 00:02:55,060 --> 00:02:58,860 Speaker 2: a certain sense, and we hold to be heroic, we 39 00:02:58,940 --> 00:03:05,300 Speaker 2: hold to be better than most of us, and that 40 00:03:05,420 --> 00:03:11,860 Speaker 2: society announces that we hold these people in awe and 41 00:03:12,980 --> 00:03:16,140 Speaker 2: I do so for a lot of reasons. I'll explain why. 42 00:03:16,220 --> 00:03:18,180 Speaker 2: But I want to tie it in for a moment, 43 00:03:18,500 --> 00:03:24,500 Speaker 2: just into what spurred this. It was actually I was reading, 44 00:03:24,700 --> 00:03:31,419 Speaker 2: as usual the Jewish liturgy, and you know, we honor Abraham, 45 00:03:31,540 --> 00:03:36,140 Speaker 2: Isaac and Jacob right our patriarchs. And I always remember thinking, 46 00:03:36,300 --> 00:03:39,140 Speaker 2: even when I was a kid in Yeshiva, what's so 47 00:03:39,340 --> 00:03:47,420 Speaker 2: special about them? You know? All right, Abraham, father of Monotheism. Okay, 48 00:03:48,540 --> 00:03:53,940 Speaker 2: that's pretty big. But Isaac, can you name anything particularly 49 00:03:53,980 --> 00:03:59,660 Speaker 2: impressive about Isaac? I can't. Personally, I must say. Jacob, 50 00:04:00,260 --> 00:04:03,740 Speaker 2: you know, cheated as well, if not cheated his brother 51 00:04:03,780 --> 00:04:08,140 Speaker 2: out of a birthright, certainly didn't do him exact justice, 52 00:04:09,420 --> 00:04:11,900 Speaker 2: fooled his father as to who would get the blessing, 53 00:04:12,980 --> 00:04:16,859 Speaker 2: did not raise his children well at all. He spoiled Benjamin, 54 00:04:16,900 --> 00:04:21,299 Speaker 2: he spoiled Joseph, caused terrible dysfunction. And by the way, 55 00:04:21,339 --> 00:04:24,339 Speaker 2: I always tell people, one of the great gifts of 56 00:04:24,380 --> 00:04:27,739 Speaker 2: the Book of Genesis is if you think your family 57 00:04:27,820 --> 00:04:34,580 Speaker 2: is dysfunctional, it is downright healthy compared to the families 58 00:04:34,620 --> 00:04:38,140 Speaker 2: of Genesis. Did any of your children thrill one of 59 00:04:38,140 --> 00:04:42,339 Speaker 2: your other children into slavery? I don't think so. I mean, 60 00:04:42,380 --> 00:04:45,740 Speaker 2: it is just it is endless, you know. Cain and 61 00:04:45,780 --> 00:04:48,940 Speaker 2: Abel the first two brothers in history, one murders the other. 62 00:04:51,220 --> 00:04:53,779 Speaker 2: It's a gift. I really do believe. I'm not kidding. 63 00:04:53,820 --> 00:04:56,260 Speaker 2: I believe that Genesis in this way is a gift 64 00:04:57,060 --> 00:05:02,060 Speaker 2: because it's so easy to assume that everybody else is 65 00:05:02,100 --> 00:05:05,779 Speaker 2: doing it great and we screwed up, when in fact, 66 00:05:05,820 --> 00:05:09,460 Speaker 2: everybody to a certain extent, if you will, has screwed up, 67 00:05:09,500 --> 00:05:12,580 Speaker 2: and some have minimally. By the way, there's a very 68 00:05:12,620 --> 00:05:16,460 Speaker 2: powerful thing on family life. You should know. It says 69 00:05:16,660 --> 00:05:19,900 Speaker 2: that when Elijah, the prophet who will announce the arrival 70 00:05:19,940 --> 00:05:23,099 Speaker 2: of the Mishiah. When Elijah comes, the first thing he 71 00:05:23,140 --> 00:05:26,860 Speaker 2: will do is behshiv le va vote albanim velle banim alvot. 72 00:05:27,340 --> 00:05:30,100 Speaker 2: He will return the hearts of children to their fathers, 73 00:05:30,460 --> 00:05:33,620 Speaker 2: and the hearts of fathers to their children. That's how 74 00:05:33,860 --> 00:05:41,419 Speaker 2: longstanding parental child tension is and family problems are anyway, 75 00:05:41,500 --> 00:05:43,140 Speaker 2: So what does this have to do with hero So 76 00:05:43,260 --> 00:05:46,340 Speaker 2: why do we make these Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and then 77 00:05:46,380 --> 00:05:48,340 Speaker 2: the four mothers? I mean, they're not you know, they 78 00:05:48,380 --> 00:05:52,340 Speaker 2: have their difficulties as well. Why are they held up? 79 00:05:53,500 --> 00:05:56,659 Speaker 2: And then I realized this is a genius thing in 80 00:05:56,740 --> 00:06:03,700 Speaker 2: Judaism that it held as heroes imperfect people. And that's 81 00:06:03,740 --> 00:06:06,820 Speaker 2: what I want to try to explain, why why it's 82 00:06:06,860 --> 00:06:11,180 Speaker 2: important to have heroes, why we don't have them today 83 00:06:11,380 --> 00:06:14,500 Speaker 2: more or less, and what we can do about it. 84 00:06:14,580 --> 00:06:19,540 Speaker 2: So let me begin with why it's important. Number one, 85 00:06:20,340 --> 00:06:23,460 Speaker 2: How else do we know how to lead a good life. 86 00:06:24,980 --> 00:06:28,140 Speaker 2: It's not enough to have a rule book on how 87 00:06:28,180 --> 00:06:32,100 Speaker 2: to do good. Somebody has to do good. We need 88 00:06:32,420 --> 00:06:36,020 Speaker 2: we need people to be examples of goodness. To know 89 00:06:36,100 --> 00:06:40,820 Speaker 2: how to be good Without real human examples, it doesn't work. 90 00:06:41,780 --> 00:06:44,300 Speaker 2: How do you know it's true for anything? How do 91 00:06:44,380 --> 00:06:46,660 Speaker 2: you know how to pitch a ball without a pitcher 92 00:06:46,780 --> 00:06:51,779 Speaker 2: teaching you. Pitchers don't learn from manuals. They learn from 93 00:06:51,820 --> 00:06:56,580 Speaker 2: pitching coaches. They learn from watching great pictures. Hitters learn 94 00:06:56,660 --> 00:07:01,539 Speaker 2: from watching great hitters. Musicians learn from watching great musicians. 95 00:07:02,420 --> 00:07:05,979 Speaker 2: That's how it works. I'm particularly into music, and I 96 00:07:06,100 --> 00:07:08,820 Speaker 2: know that the great composers they all learn from each other. 97 00:07:09,660 --> 00:07:12,020 Speaker 2: It's just the way it worked. Heighten learned from Bach, 98 00:07:12,100 --> 00:07:14,940 Speaker 2: and Mozart learned from Heiden, and Beethoven learn from Heyden 99 00:07:15,180 --> 00:07:19,140 Speaker 2: and Mozart, and Tchaikowsky and Brahms took from all of them. 100 00:07:19,180 --> 00:07:21,180 Speaker 2: I mean, it's just the way it works. You don't 101 00:07:21,220 --> 00:07:24,740 Speaker 2: come out of nowhere. You need a model of something. 102 00:07:25,540 --> 00:07:28,620 Speaker 2: You can outdo the model, perhaps, but you need a model. 103 00:07:29,660 --> 00:07:34,700 Speaker 2: So we need this. We need to say this is 104 00:07:34,740 --> 00:07:39,300 Speaker 2: a model number two. How else can a young person 105 00:07:39,460 --> 00:07:43,060 Speaker 2: know what to aspire to be, how to grow up 106 00:07:43,140 --> 00:07:47,300 Speaker 2: to be a civilized adult. And this is particularly true 107 00:07:47,340 --> 00:07:50,380 Speaker 2: for boys. I know people often hate any distinction between 108 00:07:50,380 --> 00:07:53,260 Speaker 2: the sexes, but they are different the sexes, and they 109 00:07:53,300 --> 00:07:59,100 Speaker 2: have somewhat different needs. Boys in particular, girls need female models, 110 00:07:59,100 --> 00:08:03,820 Speaker 2: It's obvious. But boys in particular, boys without male models 111 00:08:04,420 --> 00:08:07,860 Speaker 2: grow up to be very large animals. I mean, let's 112 00:08:07,900 --> 00:08:09,940 Speaker 2: be honest, and I can say this because I'm male. 113 00:08:10,620 --> 00:08:12,740 Speaker 2: I mean, any of you who had a boy probably 114 00:08:12,820 --> 00:08:16,580 Speaker 2: have noted that at times the distinction between them and 115 00:08:16,660 --> 00:08:22,540 Speaker 2: an animal was minimal. You know. I remember my you know, 116 00:08:22,700 --> 00:08:25,900 Speaker 2: my boys would stand in the middle of the living room, 117 00:08:26,020 --> 00:08:28,180 Speaker 2: you know, not all the time, but at different points 118 00:08:28,220 --> 00:08:31,940 Speaker 2: in their in their young life, and would flatulate and 119 00:08:32,020 --> 00:08:34,180 Speaker 2: think it was the funniest thing that they had ever 120 00:08:34,220 --> 00:08:37,900 Speaker 2: heard in their lives. Girls, don't yell, don't don't do this. 121 00:08:38,100 --> 00:08:41,020 Speaker 2: I mean, as you don't have to, don't do that, Cynthia. 122 00:08:41,500 --> 00:08:45,580 Speaker 2: It's just very few girls will do that in the 123 00:08:45,579 --> 00:08:49,059 Speaker 2: middle of the living room and think it's hilarious. If 124 00:08:49,100 --> 00:08:50,819 Speaker 2: they did it in the middle of the living room, 125 00:08:50,900 --> 00:08:55,179 Speaker 2: they would be in terribly embarrassed. It would have been unintentional, 126 00:08:55,220 --> 00:08:57,140 Speaker 2: and they would have run out of the room. In 127 00:08:57,220 --> 00:09:01,700 Speaker 2: most cases, girls are generally born more civilized than boys. 128 00:09:01,780 --> 00:09:05,340 Speaker 2: Girls have other issues, but civilization is not one of them. 129 00:09:05,380 --> 00:09:08,380 Speaker 2: We males are closer to the animal kingdom. By the way, 130 00:09:08,660 --> 00:09:13,059 Speaker 2: I got that from Genesis too. We are we males 131 00:09:13,179 --> 00:09:17,700 Speaker 2: are created chronologically closer to the animals than the female. 132 00:09:17,700 --> 00:09:21,980 Speaker 2: The female is the last creation, and sincereation goes upward 133 00:09:22,820 --> 00:09:26,300 Speaker 2: in the sense of being further from animals, females are 134 00:09:26,380 --> 00:09:29,860 Speaker 2: further from animals. So I got that both from raising 135 00:09:29,940 --> 00:09:36,500 Speaker 2: boys and from Genesis. So boys, unbelievably neat men provide 136 00:09:36,620 --> 00:09:40,740 Speaker 2: boys a model of how to be civilized and male 137 00:09:40,780 --> 00:09:44,620 Speaker 2: at the same time. Keep your male hood, keep your masculinity, 138 00:09:44,660 --> 00:09:47,500 Speaker 2: but be civilized. This is how to do it. We 139 00:09:47,740 --> 00:09:51,940 Speaker 2: can't do it without models. It's not possible a girl 140 00:09:52,100 --> 00:09:55,780 Speaker 2: can grow up relatively civilized even if she doesn't have 141 00:09:55,860 --> 00:09:58,860 Speaker 2: the greatest of female models. For she made me need 142 00:09:58,900 --> 00:10:03,380 Speaker 2: female models for other things, but boys particularly needed. I 143 00:10:03,460 --> 00:10:06,580 Speaker 2: know this from my radio show. It's been very touching 144 00:10:06,620 --> 00:10:08,660 Speaker 2: to me. And forgive me for saying this. Believe me, 145 00:10:08,740 --> 00:10:11,940 Speaker 2: it is not a self aggrandizing I'm just being very 146 00:10:11,980 --> 00:10:14,660 Speaker 2: open with you. A lot of very often, well not 147 00:10:14,780 --> 00:10:19,380 Speaker 2: very often enough, young men will call up my show 148 00:10:19,420 --> 00:10:21,100 Speaker 2: and say, Dennis, I just want you to know you're 149 00:10:21,100 --> 00:10:23,380 Speaker 2: a hero of mine. You and my dad, or you 150 00:10:23,460 --> 00:10:26,780 Speaker 2: and my professor, or you and my uncle, or whatever 151 00:10:26,780 --> 00:10:29,180 Speaker 2: it would be. And I want you to know what 152 00:10:29,220 --> 00:10:33,100 Speaker 2: I always say. I say thank you, and I would 153 00:10:33,220 --> 00:10:37,660 Speaker 2: like to be I want to be a hero to boys. 154 00:10:38,380 --> 00:10:41,100 Speaker 2: I want every male in this room to want to 155 00:10:41,100 --> 00:10:45,780 Speaker 2: be a hero to boys. That's our male task, is 156 00:10:45,820 --> 00:10:49,540 Speaker 2: to be a hero to boys. We don't think about 157 00:10:49,580 --> 00:10:52,060 Speaker 2: that because too many men don't want to grow up. 158 00:10:52,100 --> 00:10:54,580 Speaker 2: Too many women don't want to grow up. This is 159 00:10:54,620 --> 00:10:58,020 Speaker 2: a society in which Peter Pan is often the ideal 160 00:10:58,100 --> 00:11:02,380 Speaker 2: of not growing up. Because the moment you say that 161 00:11:02,420 --> 00:11:05,260 Speaker 2: you want to be a hero to a boy, you 162 00:11:05,420 --> 00:11:08,860 Speaker 2: are acknowledging you are older. You are acknowledging you are 163 00:11:08,900 --> 00:11:12,980 Speaker 2: not a boy anymore. You are now taking on that role. 164 00:11:14,420 --> 00:11:17,500 Speaker 2: But that's the way men always saw themselves, not just 165 00:11:17,540 --> 00:11:20,420 Speaker 2: to their own boys. Maybe they didn't even have boys, 166 00:11:20,660 --> 00:11:24,059 Speaker 2: didn't have any children, or they only had daughters. There 167 00:11:24,140 --> 00:11:27,860 Speaker 2: was always assumed that a man is to be a hero, 168 00:11:28,660 --> 00:11:32,740 Speaker 2: the next door neighbor, the uncle, whoever it would be 169 00:11:32,420 --> 00:11:36,340 Speaker 2: to a boy. And not enough men have that, because 170 00:11:36,380 --> 00:11:40,620 Speaker 2: not enough males want to be that. But that's why 171 00:11:40,660 --> 00:11:43,940 Speaker 2: I answer them that way. I don't say, oh, come on, 172 00:11:44,100 --> 00:11:48,460 Speaker 2: come on, not me. No, I want to be imperfect. 173 00:11:48,540 --> 00:11:51,780 Speaker 2: Me would like to be that, and every male should 174 00:11:51,820 --> 00:11:56,540 Speaker 2: want to be that. Number three, we need heroes for 175 00:11:56,580 --> 00:12:02,300 Speaker 2: another reason. This is how society rewards its best. It 176 00:12:02,420 --> 00:12:05,740 Speaker 2: says this, we honor so and so. It's good. It 177 00:12:05,820 --> 00:12:08,500 Speaker 2: is a good thing. Now often they honor the wrong people. 178 00:12:08,620 --> 00:12:11,500 Speaker 2: That's a bad thing, but it is a good idea. 179 00:12:11,660 --> 00:12:15,459 Speaker 2: Society says, this is who we hold to be a 180 00:12:15,580 --> 00:12:19,340 Speaker 2: standard of a good life. That is good for society 181 00:12:19,420 --> 00:12:24,820 Speaker 2: to have heroes. Number four, This is how a society 182 00:12:24,860 --> 00:12:27,460 Speaker 2: announces what its real values are. You want to judge 183 00:12:27,500 --> 00:12:30,900 Speaker 2: a society, see what's heroes are. You want to judge 184 00:12:30,900 --> 00:12:33,860 Speaker 2: a culture, See what's heroes are. Let me give you 185 00:12:33,940 --> 00:12:37,060 Speaker 2: examples here because this is I truly believe that this 186 00:12:37,260 --> 00:12:41,660 Speaker 2: is the watermark by which you can judge often a society. 187 00:12:42,940 --> 00:12:46,459 Speaker 2: Let me tell you. I study particular the Soviet Union. 188 00:12:46,460 --> 00:12:49,820 Speaker 2: That was my field of study, and I studied it 189 00:12:49,940 --> 00:12:53,140 Speaker 2: rather in depth. And of course, who are the heroes 190 00:12:53,140 --> 00:12:56,100 Speaker 2: in the Soviet Union? And by the way, that is 191 00:12:56,140 --> 00:12:59,780 Speaker 2: a title they had, good Oi sofyetzk say uza right? 192 00:13:00,260 --> 00:13:02,340 Speaker 2: Where are you mari in it right? Hero of the 193 00:13:02,340 --> 00:13:06,220 Speaker 2: Soviet Union? And of course Stalin was a hero of 194 00:13:06,220 --> 00:13:09,740 Speaker 2: the Soviet Union. In Lenin two butchers. Immediately you have 195 00:13:09,820 --> 00:13:12,820 Speaker 2: an idea. This is not a great society when Lenin 196 00:13:12,900 --> 00:13:15,620 Speaker 2: and Stalin are heroes of your culture. But I want 197 00:13:15,620 --> 00:13:17,500 Speaker 2: to tell you of a hero you probably don't know 198 00:13:17,580 --> 00:13:22,540 Speaker 2: about Public Morozo. Public was a boy of about twelve, 199 00:13:23,900 --> 00:13:27,220 Speaker 2: and you may and you should know. I wish it 200 00:13:27,260 --> 00:13:29,820 Speaker 2: were better known, because we should not only know about 201 00:13:29,820 --> 00:13:34,740 Speaker 2: the Holocaust, we should know about others' massive sufferings as well. 202 00:13:34,820 --> 00:13:38,540 Speaker 2: The Ukrainians went through their version of a Holocaust, and 203 00:13:38,580 --> 00:13:41,180 Speaker 2: I don't use that word easily at all. They were 204 00:13:41,220 --> 00:13:44,620 Speaker 2: starved to death in the millions. The number is between 205 00:13:44,660 --> 00:13:47,420 Speaker 2: four and seven million. We probably can never know the 206 00:13:47,500 --> 00:13:52,500 Speaker 2: exact number deliberately starved to death by Stalin because he 207 00:13:52,620 --> 00:13:56,460 Speaker 2: wanted to crush the Ukraine was the bread basket of Europe, 208 00:13:57,420 --> 00:14:01,380 Speaker 2: and he wanted to crush all individual ownership of land 209 00:14:01,740 --> 00:14:05,700 Speaker 2: and put everybody onto a kafuzz, into a commune. And 210 00:14:06,260 --> 00:14:10,620 Speaker 2: so every he starved Ukrainians to death. And if you, 211 00:14:10,980 --> 00:14:16,420 Speaker 2: if you hoarded any wheat, you were told in class 212 00:14:17,620 --> 00:14:22,580 Speaker 2: you snitch on your parent if they are hiding any grain. 213 00:14:23,700 --> 00:14:28,620 Speaker 2: Public Morozov snitched on his father. His father was executed, 214 00:14:28,700 --> 00:14:31,140 Speaker 2: and Public Morozov was held to be a hero of 215 00:14:31,140 --> 00:14:35,540 Speaker 2: the Soviet Union for reporting on his father for keeping 216 00:14:35,580 --> 00:14:42,100 Speaker 2: some food to feed his family after all and murdered. 217 00:14:42,500 --> 00:14:46,460 Speaker 2: And the child they made a postage stamp of this child. 218 00:14:46,500 --> 00:14:51,540 Speaker 2: They made the pictures and posters and named communes after him. 219 00:14:52,180 --> 00:14:54,460 Speaker 2: So that tells you a little about the Soviet Union. 220 00:14:54,500 --> 00:15:00,980 Speaker 2: Who the heroes were there. Read The Closed Circle by 221 00:15:01,100 --> 00:15:04,220 Speaker 2: David Price Jones, generally regarded as one of the most 222 00:15:04,220 --> 00:15:08,220 Speaker 2: insightful books on the Arab world today, and Price Jones 223 00:15:08,260 --> 00:15:10,580 Speaker 2: makes the point that in the Arab world, the hero 224 00:15:10,700 --> 00:15:15,380 Speaker 2: today is the strongest man. It's very sad to say. 225 00:15:15,460 --> 00:15:17,540 Speaker 2: I say this with no joy, and I certainly don't 226 00:15:17,540 --> 00:15:21,820 Speaker 2: say this because I support Israel would give me more 227 00:15:21,860 --> 00:15:26,340 Speaker 2: pleasure than to see the Arab world advance. But the 228 00:15:26,380 --> 00:15:29,620 Speaker 2: Arab world is in real trouble, and its heroes are 229 00:15:29,660 --> 00:15:33,540 Speaker 2: the strongest two that you will know of Gamal abdol Nasser, 230 00:15:33,700 --> 00:15:36,700 Speaker 2: the dictator of Egypt in the Six Day War era, 231 00:15:38,060 --> 00:15:42,260 Speaker 2: and Saddam Hussein. Saddam Hussein was beloved by Arabs, beloved 232 00:15:42,940 --> 00:15:45,900 Speaker 2: he slaughtered Arabs, and he was beloved by Arabs because 233 00:15:45,940 --> 00:15:49,740 Speaker 2: he was the strongest horse. And that's how it works. 234 00:15:49,820 --> 00:15:54,100 Speaker 2: The strongest one is the hero. So it gives you 235 00:15:54,140 --> 00:15:57,420 Speaker 2: an idea of a certain pathology within the Arab world 236 00:15:57,500 --> 00:16:04,860 Speaker 2: at this time. Our heroes Jews heroes. Just to give examples, Abraham, 237 00:16:04,940 --> 00:16:08,780 Speaker 2: Isaac and Jacob. Then the four mothers, and Moses, the 238 00:16:08,900 --> 00:16:12,300 Speaker 2: daughter of Pharaoh, is a hero. By the way, I 239 00:16:12,380 --> 00:16:15,180 Speaker 2: regard that as one of the great stories of our Torah, 240 00:16:15,820 --> 00:16:19,780 Speaker 2: that the Torah said that the one who saved Moses 241 00:16:20,500 --> 00:16:23,540 Speaker 2: was a woman and being non Jew and c the 242 00:16:23,660 --> 00:16:26,420 Speaker 2: daughter of the person who wished to commit genocide on 243 00:16:26,460 --> 00:16:29,940 Speaker 2: the Jews. That's one of the reasons. That's reason number 244 00:16:30,020 --> 00:16:33,620 Speaker 2: three seventeen. I believe the Torre is divine. The story 245 00:16:33,660 --> 00:16:36,220 Speaker 2: of the daughter of Pharaoh, that she is the heroine 246 00:16:36,220 --> 00:16:38,060 Speaker 2: of that. If it weren't for her, there would be 247 00:16:38,100 --> 00:16:45,380 Speaker 2: no Exodus. It's an astonishing story unto itself. Non Jewish 248 00:16:45,460 --> 00:16:48,220 Speaker 2: rescuers of Jews and the Holocaust would be Jewish heroes. 249 00:16:48,700 --> 00:16:51,660 Speaker 2: Golden Mayir was a Jewish hero. So I'm giving you 250 00:16:51,700 --> 00:16:55,780 Speaker 2: some examples. I think that speaks about Jews, the Jewish heroes, 251 00:16:57,220 --> 00:17:03,740 Speaker 2: American heroes. Past Or President Christopher Columbus, we had until 252 00:17:03,780 --> 00:17:07,340 Speaker 2: recently Columbus Day celebrated. There was when I was a kid, 253 00:17:07,700 --> 00:17:11,820 Speaker 2: George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, the rescuers of nine to eleven, 254 00:17:12,540 --> 00:17:14,619 Speaker 2: the four Chaplains. I wonder how many of you know 255 00:17:14,659 --> 00:17:17,580 Speaker 2: about that story. Four chaplains who gave up their lives 256 00:17:17,980 --> 00:17:20,979 Speaker 2: when their ship was torpedoed in World War Two. They 257 00:17:21,020 --> 00:17:26,179 Speaker 2: gave up their vests to sailors and volunteered to die 258 00:17:26,780 --> 00:17:31,939 Speaker 2: in the sinking of the ship. Two Protestant pastors, a 259 00:17:31,979 --> 00:17:35,740 Speaker 2: Catholic priest, and a rabbi. Those four, by the way, 260 00:17:36,139 --> 00:17:39,700 Speaker 2: are my favorite stamp ever issued in the United States, 261 00:17:40,300 --> 00:17:43,899 Speaker 2: this beautiful stamp of the four Chaplains. And it's the 262 00:17:43,939 --> 00:17:46,419 Speaker 2: only rabbi that I know of who was at least 263 00:17:46,500 --> 00:17:50,260 Speaker 2: until very recently. On an American stamp was the rabbi who, 264 00:17:50,340 --> 00:17:53,820 Speaker 2: along with the other three clergy gave their life vests 265 00:17:53,899 --> 00:18:00,059 Speaker 2: and then died on that ship. And that tells you, well, 266 00:18:00,139 --> 00:18:03,979 Speaker 2: these things tell you. And then Martin Luther King Junior Superman, 267 00:18:05,500 --> 00:18:11,100 Speaker 2: and teachers and clergy. I picked random heroes that I 268 00:18:11,139 --> 00:18:14,619 Speaker 2: think most of you would acknowledge were or are some 269 00:18:14,699 --> 00:18:19,979 Speaker 2: aren't any more heroes in American life. I think that 270 00:18:20,100 --> 00:18:24,699 Speaker 2: hero tell you more about a country in a nutshell 271 00:18:25,419 --> 00:18:31,060 Speaker 2: than almost anything else. Who are the country's heroes? And finally, 272 00:18:31,260 --> 00:18:37,819 Speaker 2: reason number five. Some people really do do good and 273 00:18:37,899 --> 00:18:41,139 Speaker 2: they need to be honored. It's very important. It inspires us. 274 00:18:41,340 --> 00:18:46,100 Speaker 2: Great people inspire us. I want to know that there 275 00:18:46,100 --> 00:18:49,340 Speaker 2: are better people than me that I can't tell you 276 00:18:49,419 --> 00:18:52,539 Speaker 2: I would. I think I would just melt in depression 277 00:18:52,580 --> 00:18:56,220 Speaker 2: if I thought I was the best there is. It's 278 00:18:56,219 --> 00:19:00,580 Speaker 2: such a painful idea to me that I pray that 279 00:19:00,699 --> 00:19:03,739 Speaker 2: there are oodles of people better than me. So the 280 00:19:03,899 --> 00:19:07,299 Speaker 2: idea that anybody should resent that somebody is held up, 281 00:19:07,340 --> 00:19:09,979 Speaker 2: I mean, unless it's just a foolish choice. It's a 282 00:19:10,020 --> 00:19:14,500 Speaker 2: wonderful thing to have great people held up. We need them. 283 00:19:14,580 --> 00:19:19,219 Speaker 2: It's inspiring to us. It gives us something to shoot for, 284 00:19:19,459 --> 00:19:26,019 Speaker 2: to aim for. Okay, now, what's happened. That's why it's important. 285 00:19:26,260 --> 00:19:29,660 Speaker 2: What's happened. We live in an age a few heroes. 286 00:19:29,739 --> 00:19:33,780 Speaker 2: If you ask young people who their heroes are, many 287 00:19:33,820 --> 00:19:37,340 Speaker 2: will say my parents, which is great. But beyond that, 288 00:19:37,379 --> 00:19:39,780 Speaker 2: they don't have any. They don't have any. If you'd 289 00:19:39,780 --> 00:19:41,340 Speaker 2: have asked me as a kid, I would have said 290 00:19:41,340 --> 00:19:44,500 Speaker 2: George Washington, I would have said Abraham Lincoln, the usual 291 00:19:44,699 --> 00:19:48,580 Speaker 2: slew of people. I would have said Nathan Hale. I 292 00:19:48,619 --> 00:19:50,980 Speaker 2: want to have any. If there's ten kids in America 293 00:19:51,020 --> 00:19:53,820 Speaker 2: who know Nathan Hale, were was, and when I was 294 00:19:53,859 --> 00:19:56,179 Speaker 2: a kid, everybody knew his quote when he was hanged 295 00:19:56,179 --> 00:19:58,139 Speaker 2: by the British, I regret that I have but one 296 00:19:58,179 --> 00:20:01,619 Speaker 2: life to give for my country. And I'll bet you 297 00:20:01,659 --> 00:20:04,139 Speaker 2: all those of you my age, ninety percent of you 298 00:20:04,219 --> 00:20:06,459 Speaker 2: around my age, remember that quote. If you grew up 299 00:20:06,459 --> 00:20:10,019 Speaker 2: in the United States and studied in an American school, 300 00:20:11,100 --> 00:20:13,780 Speaker 2: how many kids today know of Nathan Hale. I suspect 301 00:20:13,780 --> 00:20:17,779 Speaker 2: it's close to zero. It's very different. It's very different. 302 00:20:17,780 --> 00:20:20,540 Speaker 2: That inspired me as a kid. So did Washington, and 303 00:20:20,659 --> 00:20:23,899 Speaker 2: so Lincoln and inspired me a great deal. Now we 304 00:20:23,979 --> 00:20:27,619 Speaker 2: have President's Day, talk about that in a moment. We 305 00:20:27,939 --> 00:20:32,619 Speaker 2: don't have that. So we live in an age with few, 306 00:20:32,699 --> 00:20:35,939 Speaker 2: with perhaps no heroes. Let me go down the American list. 307 00:20:36,260 --> 00:20:40,940 Speaker 2: Columbus is no longer a hero. He killed Indians. George 308 00:20:40,979 --> 00:20:45,419 Speaker 2: Washington is no longer a hero. He had slaves. Abraham 309 00:20:45,459 --> 00:20:48,100 Speaker 2: Lincoln is no longer a hero. He said some very 310 00:20:48,179 --> 00:20:50,980 Speaker 2: racist things about blacks. And there are those who say 311 00:20:50,979 --> 00:20:53,139 Speaker 2: he didn't have the didn't fight the Civil War to 312 00:20:53,619 --> 00:20:56,139 Speaker 2: liberate slaves. He' suought the Civil War just to keep 313 00:20:56,139 --> 00:20:59,619 Speaker 2: the Union together. And well, what could he do without 314 00:20:59,619 --> 00:21:04,539 Speaker 2: Southern ports. We'd have no we'd have no economy. You 315 00:21:04,739 --> 00:21:07,499 Speaker 2: just go, you go down with anybody. Nobody remembers the 316 00:21:07,540 --> 00:21:12,179 Speaker 2: four chaplains. Oh, Martin Luther King Jr. I've heard this often. No, no, 317 00:21:12,179 --> 00:21:18,179 Speaker 2: no hero. He got a number of extramarital affairs. Superman 318 00:21:18,619 --> 00:21:22,540 Speaker 2: Man's dead, all right, Krypton I finally got him. By 319 00:21:22,540 --> 00:21:25,699 Speaker 2: the way, I loved Superman. I loved the idea that 320 00:21:25,739 --> 00:21:28,739 Speaker 2: there was a guy with supernatural powers and fought bad guys. 321 00:21:30,300 --> 00:21:33,100 Speaker 2: You know, I have to say it parenthetically, this notion 322 00:21:33,219 --> 00:21:35,580 Speaker 2: about oh we don't want any violence in our comic 323 00:21:35,580 --> 00:21:39,820 Speaker 2: books are cartoons. There's good violence and bad violence. When 324 00:21:39,899 --> 00:21:43,299 Speaker 2: you are a kid, you don't care about whether or 325 00:21:43,340 --> 00:21:45,979 Speaker 2: not there's violence in a cartoon. You care whether the 326 00:21:46,139 --> 00:21:49,899 Speaker 2: bad guys are beaten or not, because if the bad 327 00:21:49,939 --> 00:21:54,219 Speaker 2: guys aren't defeated, you feel very insecure as a child. 328 00:21:55,020 --> 00:21:58,540 Speaker 2: What should matter is not whether kids see violence, what 329 00:21:58,540 --> 00:22:01,660 Speaker 2: what is it for? If it's where the good guys are, 330 00:22:01,699 --> 00:22:04,859 Speaker 2: whopen the bad guys, that's a great thing for children. 331 00:22:05,739 --> 00:22:09,100 Speaker 2: Refairy tales, they're filled with violence. Read the toarets filled 332 00:22:09,100 --> 00:22:12,659 Speaker 2: with violence. Not violence is not the problem. The problem 333 00:22:12,739 --> 00:22:15,060 Speaker 2: is what is it used for? What are the ends 334 00:22:15,139 --> 00:22:20,100 Speaker 2: of it? So Superman is dead and anyway he would 335 00:22:20,100 --> 00:22:22,580 Speaker 2: be laughed at at today in any event, remember the 336 00:22:22,619 --> 00:22:25,419 Speaker 2: motto a never ending battle for truth, justice in the 337 00:22:25,419 --> 00:22:28,179 Speaker 2: American way, and we are we are so cynical, which 338 00:22:28,179 --> 00:22:30,499 Speaker 2: I'll come to in a moment. That people would have 339 00:22:30,540 --> 00:22:34,219 Speaker 2: dismissed Superman and would dismiss Superman today is just silly, 340 00:22:34,500 --> 00:22:40,459 Speaker 2: if not worse. As for Jews, similarly, there's something you 341 00:22:40,500 --> 00:22:43,060 Speaker 2: can just abraham. What's so heroic about him? He tried 342 00:22:43,100 --> 00:22:49,500 Speaker 2: to kill his child, Isaac didn't do anything. Jacob cheated Moses. 343 00:22:49,540 --> 00:22:52,779 Speaker 2: I got to admit it's still venerated. And uh and 344 00:22:52,899 --> 00:22:56,899 Speaker 2: and and so again. It's it's the list. The list 345 00:22:57,659 --> 00:23:02,699 Speaker 2: has just been depleted. Heroes are gone. And remember, you 346 00:23:02,739 --> 00:23:07,179 Speaker 2: know schools have renamed themselves. They have Jefferson School is 347 00:23:07,260 --> 00:23:10,820 Speaker 2: renamed because he had slaves. Washington High School is renamed 348 00:23:10,820 --> 00:23:14,419 Speaker 2: because he had slaves. What happens, of course, when you 349 00:23:14,540 --> 00:23:17,179 Speaker 2: do this is you will you end up saying to 350 00:23:17,219 --> 00:23:20,419 Speaker 2: people there's nobody to emulate. There were no good people 351 00:23:20,459 --> 00:23:24,499 Speaker 2: before you lived. You're the greatest. There's a certain arrogance 352 00:23:24,619 --> 00:23:27,019 Speaker 2: in doing this to the past. Maybe they'll do this 353 00:23:27,060 --> 00:23:31,019 Speaker 2: to us for being meat eaters. What a vegetarian becomes 354 00:23:31,139 --> 00:23:34,859 Speaker 2: universal one hundred years from now and so oh no, 355 00:23:34,979 --> 00:23:37,700 Speaker 2: we got it. No more schools named after anybody who 356 00:23:37,699 --> 00:23:41,740 Speaker 2: lived in the twentieth century. They all ate meat. I'm serious. 357 00:23:41,780 --> 00:23:44,419 Speaker 2: How do you know that won't happen? But that would 358 00:23:44,459 --> 00:23:47,780 Speaker 2: be as foolish as well. They had slaves. Of course 359 00:23:47,780 --> 00:23:50,259 Speaker 2: it's wrong to have slaves. They may conclude it is 360 00:23:50,300 --> 00:23:52,820 Speaker 2: wrong to eat meat. And I'm not comparing the two, 361 00:23:52,859 --> 00:23:55,100 Speaker 2: believe me, But I'm just saying that that may be 362 00:23:55,219 --> 00:24:01,340 Speaker 2: the issue. There were great men who also had slaves. 363 00:24:02,219 --> 00:24:05,419 Speaker 2: It's not right, it's not good. We all know slavery 364 00:24:05,540 --> 00:24:10,819 Speaker 2: is wrong. They knew slavery was wrong. They set up 365 00:24:10,820 --> 00:24:16,139 Speaker 2: a country that ultimately abolished it, obviously, so that's what 366 00:24:16,179 --> 00:24:19,100 Speaker 2: has happened. And kids don't have this anymore. And as 367 00:24:19,139 --> 00:24:22,740 Speaker 2: I say, we've even abolished while Washington's and Lincoln's birthday, 368 00:24:23,340 --> 00:24:24,980 Speaker 2: I don't think there's a kid in this room who 369 00:24:24,979 --> 00:24:28,300 Speaker 2: could tell you the birthdays of Washington and Lincoln. Again, 370 00:24:28,379 --> 00:24:31,580 Speaker 2: every one of you my age can February twelfth, February 371 00:24:31,619 --> 00:24:36,060 Speaker 2: twenty two. We all knew that because we celebrated Washington's 372 00:24:36,060 --> 00:24:39,100 Speaker 2: birthday on his birthday, not on a Monday to give 373 00:24:39,139 --> 00:24:43,459 Speaker 2: you an extra day on, but actually on his birthday. 374 00:24:43,500 --> 00:24:46,179 Speaker 2: And the same thing with Lincoln. And if they fell 375 00:24:46,219 --> 00:24:49,619 Speaker 2: on a Sunday, tough, you didn't get an extra day off. 376 00:24:50,979 --> 00:24:54,100 Speaker 2: And now we have President's Day, which means nothing. Presidents 377 00:24:54,100 --> 00:24:58,779 Speaker 2: of what the country we're celebrating, Millard Fillmore, what is 378 00:24:58,820 --> 00:25:04,100 Speaker 2: it even? Doesn't mean anything? President's Day. It's a day 379 00:25:04,100 --> 00:25:06,779 Speaker 2: to you know where best buy has its best sale. 380 00:25:06,899 --> 00:25:10,859 Speaker 2: That's what That's what it's come to me. When I 381 00:25:10,979 --> 00:25:12,899 Speaker 2: was a kid. I remember we put on and I 382 00:25:12,979 --> 00:25:16,139 Speaker 2: went to a Jewish I went to a yeshiva, an 383 00:25:16,219 --> 00:25:20,499 Speaker 2: Orthodox Jewish school, and we had George Washington plays, and 384 00:25:20,659 --> 00:25:25,260 Speaker 2: we had Abraham Lincoln plays let alone at a regular 385 00:25:25,459 --> 00:25:30,060 Speaker 2: American public high school. So the question is, if it's 386 00:25:30,100 --> 00:25:34,100 Speaker 2: so important and we don't have them anymore? Part three, 387 00:25:34,739 --> 00:25:41,419 Speaker 2: Why why no heroes? Why have we knocked down everybody? 388 00:25:41,459 --> 00:25:44,899 Speaker 2: This is the most important part I think of the talk. 389 00:25:45,739 --> 00:25:47,979 Speaker 2: And you may agree, you may disagree, but you would 390 00:25:47,979 --> 00:25:50,619 Speaker 2: have to provide other reasons if you think my reasons 391 00:25:50,659 --> 00:25:53,859 Speaker 2: are not valid. Number one, we live in an age 392 00:25:53,899 --> 00:26:00,699 Speaker 2: of cynicism. We're above having heroes because hey, we're so 393 00:26:00,979 --> 00:26:05,659 Speaker 2: we're so aware. We know everybody's corrupt. Right, It's like 394 00:26:05,899 --> 00:26:09,979 Speaker 2: all politicians are corrupt. It's not true. All politicians are 395 00:26:10,020 --> 00:26:14,180 Speaker 2: not corrupt. Some are, maybe many are, but not all are. 396 00:26:15,859 --> 00:26:20,579 Speaker 2: We but if you are very with it and very sophisticated, 397 00:26:20,859 --> 00:26:24,020 Speaker 2: then you don't have heroes. The more sophisticated you are, 398 00:26:24,500 --> 00:26:26,739 Speaker 2: the less likely you are to believe in this thing, 399 00:26:26,780 --> 00:26:30,739 Speaker 2: because you know that everybody has skeletons in his or 400 00:26:30,780 --> 00:26:33,979 Speaker 2: her closet, which is if true. Of course it's true. 401 00:26:34,020 --> 00:26:38,499 Speaker 2: That's the whole point. Everybody does have skeletons. But so 402 00:26:38,580 --> 00:26:42,260 Speaker 2: what why does that mean you're not a hero? Which 403 00:26:42,260 --> 00:26:45,419 Speaker 2: I will come to. So, by the way, there's a 404 00:26:45,419 --> 00:26:47,979 Speaker 2: great definition I'm sure many of you know it of 405 00:26:48,020 --> 00:26:50,659 Speaker 2: a cynic. The cynic is the person who knows the 406 00:26:50,699 --> 00:26:57,259 Speaker 2: price of everything but the worth of nothing. That's what 407 00:26:57,300 --> 00:27:02,780 Speaker 2: a cynic is, and that's how it happens. I mean, 408 00:27:02,899 --> 00:27:06,179 Speaker 2: when I hear from some people Martin Luther King's no hero. 409 00:27:06,379 --> 00:27:11,100 Speaker 2: The guy had extramarrow affairs. It's one of the only 410 00:27:11,139 --> 00:27:14,659 Speaker 2: times I want to punch a core. What are you 411 00:27:14,739 --> 00:27:17,379 Speaker 2: talking about? The guy may have saved this country from 412 00:27:17,459 --> 00:27:21,659 Speaker 2: violent civil war thanks to his non viol islent resistance 413 00:27:21,699 --> 00:27:25,419 Speaker 2: to segregation. Used to put a picture of this guy 414 00:27:25,500 --> 00:27:27,539 Speaker 2: up in your living room and bow down to it 415 00:27:27,580 --> 00:27:32,939 Speaker 2: three times a day, minihamarravn Chaplin and I don't add 416 00:27:33,020 --> 00:27:37,779 Speaker 2: that part, but most of my listeners didn't go to Yeshiva. 417 00:27:38,060 --> 00:27:42,580 Speaker 2: But I mean, that's just absurd. You get it from 418 00:27:42,619 --> 00:27:44,899 Speaker 2: the left, you get it from the right. This notion, well, 419 00:27:44,979 --> 00:27:49,100 Speaker 2: I know the flaws of X, therefore they can't be heroic. 420 00:27:49,179 --> 00:27:53,779 Speaker 2: Then nobody is that ends it? King, David is you 421 00:27:53,820 --> 00:27:56,500 Speaker 2: know the progenitor of the Messiah and Jewah Jewish life 422 00:27:56,580 --> 00:27:59,939 Speaker 2: is the guy not flawed sends a man to die 423 00:27:59,979 --> 00:28:03,179 Speaker 2: so he could sleep with his wife. Right, this is 424 00:28:03,219 --> 00:28:08,540 Speaker 2: a very flawed man. But Judaism or the Jewish tradition 425 00:28:08,659 --> 00:28:12,419 Speaker 2: is understood. God will deal with that, and God did 426 00:28:12,459 --> 00:28:15,780 Speaker 2: deal with that as it happens, that terrible, terrible sin. 427 00:28:16,340 --> 00:28:19,059 Speaker 2: But still he is considered to have been a great 428 00:28:19,260 --> 00:28:22,820 Speaker 2: leader and a great king with all it. And that's 429 00:28:22,859 --> 00:28:26,219 Speaker 2: that's much worse than adultery. That's murder, or at least 430 00:28:26,340 --> 00:28:30,780 Speaker 2: arranging the death of the man to sleep with the wife. 431 00:28:32,060 --> 00:28:34,619 Speaker 2: So we have this age of cynicism number two, it's 432 00:28:34,619 --> 00:28:39,660 Speaker 2: an age of little wisdom. We confuse hero with perfection. 433 00:28:42,540 --> 00:28:50,180 Speaker 2: Every hero is imperfect, every from Moses to anyone. You 434 00:28:50,340 --> 00:28:53,620 Speaker 2: can't be here if you're not. If you're perfect, what's 435 00:28:53,660 --> 00:28:57,020 Speaker 2: the big deal in being a hero? I mean, you're 436 00:28:57,060 --> 00:28:59,180 Speaker 2: not you're not human. And by the way, it's an 437 00:28:59,219 --> 00:29:01,820 Speaker 2: interesting thing. And I talk to my Christian friends about 438 00:29:01,860 --> 00:29:03,820 Speaker 2: this because they hold that Jesus is perfect. But of 439 00:29:03,860 --> 00:29:06,819 Speaker 2: course Jesus is divine, so he has an excuse for 440 00:29:06,860 --> 00:29:10,260 Speaker 2: being perfect. But but if you're if you're not divine, 441 00:29:10,380 --> 00:29:13,420 Speaker 2: you can't be perfect. And that's just the way it is. 442 00:29:13,540 --> 00:29:19,020 Speaker 2: We confuse greatness and perfection, we confuse heroic and perfect, 443 00:29:19,580 --> 00:29:23,540 Speaker 2: very big mistake. The brilliance, again of the Jewish tradition 444 00:29:23,700 --> 00:29:27,340 Speaker 2: was to give us heroes but imperfect, but spell out 445 00:29:27,459 --> 00:29:31,580 Speaker 2: their imperfections at the very same time. May give you 446 00:29:31,620 --> 00:29:37,259 Speaker 2: an example that's really powerful. Is Oscar Schindler of Schindler's 447 00:29:37,300 --> 00:29:41,740 Speaker 2: List a hero? Yes, of course, the man was a 448 00:29:41,780 --> 00:29:50,339 Speaker 2: serial adulterer, serial adulterer, And here and here is a 449 00:29:50,340 --> 00:29:56,140 Speaker 2: man we consider rightly to be a hero. So how 450 00:29:56,180 --> 00:29:59,019 Speaker 2: do you reconcile? That is the whole point. You do reconcile. 451 00:29:59,300 --> 00:30:03,339 Speaker 2: You don't excuse the imperfections, but you weigh the person 452 00:30:03,459 --> 00:30:07,299 Speaker 2: in ballance in balance. He was one of the handful 453 00:30:07,739 --> 00:30:11,500 Speaker 2: of German officials to save a lot of Jews. That's 454 00:30:11,580 --> 00:30:16,219 Speaker 2: pretty heroic. And I'm sure that they were you know, 455 00:30:16,620 --> 00:30:21,100 Speaker 2: faithful Nazis who were you know, were killing Jews. Not 456 00:30:21,180 --> 00:30:24,660 Speaker 2: that fidelity is not important, but just to understand where 457 00:30:24,739 --> 00:30:28,380 Speaker 2: it where. It is not the only determinant of the 458 00:30:28,420 --> 00:30:33,420 Speaker 2: worth of a human being. Oh, I'll tell you the 459 00:30:33,420 --> 00:30:36,780 Speaker 2: one I really love. It's the ones that say President 460 00:30:36,860 --> 00:30:42,900 Speaker 2: Obama smokes this one drives me the nuttiest of all 461 00:30:42,940 --> 00:30:48,019 Speaker 2: I have to say. So what those are two of 462 00:30:48,060 --> 00:30:51,660 Speaker 2: the most powerful words in the English language. So what 463 00:30:53,020 --> 00:30:56,299 Speaker 2: I mean? It's people say it as if it is 464 00:30:56,420 --> 00:30:59,979 Speaker 2: some flaw that if it were better known, it would 465 00:31:00,060 --> 00:31:04,620 Speaker 2: just he would he would evolve in people's eyes. I 466 00:31:04,660 --> 00:31:12,019 Speaker 2: find that unbelievable. The man smokes, that's it. Anybody whose 467 00:31:12,060 --> 00:31:15,420 Speaker 2: biggest flaw is smoking is the best man ever made. 468 00:31:16,500 --> 00:31:24,300 Speaker 2: There's no competition. Number three, Why there are no heroes? 469 00:31:26,260 --> 00:31:31,140 Speaker 2: We know too many details about public figures lives. We 470 00:31:31,340 --> 00:31:37,060 Speaker 2: just do. I mean, the classic example is poor President Clinton, 471 00:31:37,140 --> 00:31:40,380 Speaker 2: and I mean guy has an affair with one woman 472 00:31:41,219 --> 00:31:45,220 Speaker 2: in eight years in office. That was a you know, 473 00:31:45,260 --> 00:31:54,180 Speaker 2: that was a day's worth of work for JFK. JFK, 474 00:31:54,459 --> 00:31:58,140 Speaker 2: who was my hero as a kid. But if the 475 00:31:58,340 --> 00:32:00,620 Speaker 2: press were pooring, the press knew what was going on 476 00:32:00,940 --> 00:32:03,820 Speaker 2: in the White House, not just outside of the way. 477 00:32:03,860 --> 00:32:07,459 Speaker 2: In the White House men had dozens and dozens of 478 00:32:07,500 --> 00:32:11,900 Speaker 2: affairs with dozens and dozens of different women. But it 479 00:32:11,940 --> 00:32:15,979 Speaker 2: was hidden because the press felt it's like another age. 480 00:32:15,979 --> 00:32:19,779 Speaker 2: It's almost like, you know, the dinosaur age. They felt 481 00:32:19,940 --> 00:32:23,420 Speaker 2: that it didn't matter, which I agree. It doesn't. I 482 00:32:23,500 --> 00:32:26,620 Speaker 2: was so angry when the Monica Lewinsky affair came out. 483 00:32:27,060 --> 00:32:31,700 Speaker 2: I was angry. I did not want to know, and 484 00:32:31,739 --> 00:32:34,420 Speaker 2: it turned out to indeed, I turned out to be right. 485 00:32:34,500 --> 00:32:39,420 Speaker 2: It ended up preoccupying a country and kids had to 486 00:32:39,459 --> 00:32:45,979 Speaker 2: hear about stained dresses on the seven o'clock news, all 487 00:32:45,979 --> 00:32:49,700 Speaker 2: because the press believes that you need to know everything. 488 00:32:50,300 --> 00:32:55,700 Speaker 2: The Chicago Tribune published, in an act of evil, published 489 00:32:56,060 --> 00:33:00,900 Speaker 2: the divorce records of the candidate for governor of Illinois, 490 00:33:01,739 --> 00:33:06,140 Speaker 2: and he stepped down afterwards, because anybody's divorce records in 491 00:33:06,219 --> 00:33:12,259 Speaker 2: a disputed divorce is not going to be pretty. And 492 00:33:12,580 --> 00:33:15,340 Speaker 2: I remember I wrote about this in my column. I 493 00:33:15,340 --> 00:33:17,740 Speaker 2: have a weekly column, and I remember writing at the time, 494 00:33:18,140 --> 00:33:20,380 Speaker 2: why don't we have the divorce records of the editors 495 00:33:20,420 --> 00:33:25,340 Speaker 2: of the Chicago Tribune. You notice, by the way, the 496 00:33:25,380 --> 00:33:28,580 Speaker 2: press never reports on the press. You know nothing about 497 00:33:28,580 --> 00:33:31,900 Speaker 2: the editors of the New York Times nothing. They may 498 00:33:31,979 --> 00:33:36,260 Speaker 2: molest children and you wouldn't know it, but for public 499 00:33:36,300 --> 00:33:40,780 Speaker 2: figures that they report on every possible detail from any 500 00:33:40,820 --> 00:33:43,860 Speaker 2: time in their life. Why is it that we knew 501 00:33:43,940 --> 00:33:49,620 Speaker 2: about the cross dressing habit of a sportscaster. I'm not 502 00:33:49,660 --> 00:33:51,539 Speaker 2: going to mention his name because I don't believe in 503 00:33:51,620 --> 00:33:54,259 Speaker 2: humiliating anyone. I'm very strict on that rule on the 504 00:33:54,340 --> 00:33:59,380 Speaker 2: radio and anywhere else. But you may remember the man 505 00:33:59,459 --> 00:34:03,660 Speaker 2: wasn't even in politics. Why did I remember? I was 506 00:34:03,700 --> 00:34:07,100 Speaker 2: then on ABC Radio and at the top of the hour, 507 00:34:07,180 --> 00:34:11,580 Speaker 2: ABC National News came on and reported that so and 508 00:34:11,620 --> 00:34:15,819 Speaker 2: so is ex girlfriend reported that he would like to 509 00:34:16,020 --> 00:34:18,980 Speaker 2: cross dress in the bedroom. Can I don't know if 510 00:34:19,020 --> 00:34:21,779 Speaker 2: there's any more humiliating thing that could be reported about 511 00:34:21,820 --> 00:34:25,900 Speaker 2: a public figure. And I remember saying, if ABC fires me, 512 00:34:25,980 --> 00:34:28,899 Speaker 2: they will fire me. I am disgusted at what my 513 00:34:29,980 --> 00:34:34,419 Speaker 2: employer just reported on the national news. Why do I 514 00:34:34,620 --> 00:34:39,460 Speaker 2: need to know what a guy who broadcasts basketball games 515 00:34:39,620 --> 00:34:43,140 Speaker 2: does in his bedroom? And the answer because they can 516 00:34:43,180 --> 00:34:46,660 Speaker 2: report it. They do it because they can do it, 517 00:34:46,700 --> 00:34:51,259 Speaker 2: and it gives them a sense of omnipotence. No one 518 00:34:51,420 --> 00:34:55,980 Speaker 2: has ruined the possibility of heroes like the media in 519 00:34:56,020 --> 00:35:00,740 Speaker 2: the Western world have no one. If I meet someone 520 00:35:00,779 --> 00:35:03,419 Speaker 2: in the news media, they are guilty until they prove 521 00:35:03,500 --> 00:35:06,979 Speaker 2: themselves innocent. To me, that is my anger at what 522 00:35:07,060 --> 00:35:10,540 Speaker 2: the media have done to individuals for no good reason. 523 00:35:13,380 --> 00:35:15,180 Speaker 2: You want to know why there are no heroes. One 524 00:35:15,180 --> 00:35:17,979 Speaker 2: of the biggest reasons is because we know everything now, 525 00:35:18,060 --> 00:35:20,140 Speaker 2: I still think you can be a hero because I 526 00:35:20,420 --> 00:35:24,780 Speaker 2: don't care about those things. But it does bring people down. 527 00:35:25,380 --> 00:35:30,739 Speaker 2: It does. Number four or number five I lost count here. 528 00:35:30,779 --> 00:35:34,939 Speaker 2: Of the reasons that we don't have heroes is another one. 529 00:35:34,980 --> 00:35:39,820 Speaker 2: We not only dissociate perfect with heroic, which is wrong, 530 00:35:40,460 --> 00:35:44,100 Speaker 2: we also use the word hypocrite too often, and that 531 00:35:44,140 --> 00:35:48,660 Speaker 2: brings people down. So let me address the issue of hypocrisy. 532 00:35:48,739 --> 00:35:57,979 Speaker 2: Forgive me. We confuse inconsistency with hypocrisy. Let me give 533 00:35:57,980 --> 00:36:01,779 Speaker 2: you a Jewish example. I have gotten this question in 534 00:36:01,900 --> 00:36:09,100 Speaker 2: Jewish during Jewish speeches since I began lecturing many decades ago. 535 00:36:09,620 --> 00:36:11,819 Speaker 2: Some young person would get up and say, you know, 536 00:36:12,739 --> 00:36:18,140 Speaker 2: mister Prager, my parents are hypocrites. Say really, wow, why 537 00:36:18,180 --> 00:36:22,419 Speaker 2: is that? Well, they keep kosher inside the house but 538 00:36:22,580 --> 00:36:31,100 Speaker 2: not outside, And I feel so frustrated on behalf of 539 00:36:31,100 --> 00:36:37,779 Speaker 2: the parents. Why is that hypocrisy? That's inconsistency. It's not hypocrisy. 540 00:36:38,100 --> 00:36:41,700 Speaker 2: Hypocrisy would be if the parents announce to the world 541 00:36:42,020 --> 00:36:45,780 Speaker 2: we keep kosher outside the house, and if you don't, 542 00:36:46,100 --> 00:36:49,219 Speaker 2: you are a great Jewish sinner, And then go and 543 00:36:49,299 --> 00:36:53,379 Speaker 2: have a cheeseburger outside the house. That's a hypocrite. But 544 00:36:53,460 --> 00:36:57,299 Speaker 2: nobody does that. Nobody. You know, it's actually hard to 545 00:36:57,339 --> 00:37:04,380 Speaker 2: find hypocrites. They're not common. What is common is inconsistent people. 546 00:37:05,259 --> 00:37:10,460 Speaker 2: Those parents are inconsistent. And you know what, I love inconsistency. 547 00:37:11,299 --> 00:37:14,660 Speaker 2: That's much better than consistency, because if you said to 548 00:37:14,700 --> 00:37:17,660 Speaker 2: the parents, you will have to be consistent, then they'd say, okay, 549 00:37:17,700 --> 00:37:24,140 Speaker 2: we won't keep poacher at home either. That's what consistency 550 00:37:24,219 --> 00:37:27,979 Speaker 2: would have entailed. They're not going to for the sake 551 00:37:28,020 --> 00:37:31,660 Speaker 2: of consistency. Now stop eating what they were eating outside. 552 00:37:31,700 --> 00:37:34,620 Speaker 2: The people who keep a kosher home and eat anything 553 00:37:34,660 --> 00:37:37,779 Speaker 2: they want or whatever they do outside, I salute them. 554 00:37:39,020 --> 00:37:45,140 Speaker 2: I salute them, And how's this God salutes them. By 555 00:37:45,180 --> 00:37:48,219 Speaker 2: the way, I'm not alone in this. Aabat ultra Orthodox 556 00:37:48,299 --> 00:37:50,739 Speaker 2: Jew say the exact same thing. A little is better 557 00:37:50,779 --> 00:37:52,620 Speaker 2: than nothing, a lot is better than a little, and 558 00:37:52,660 --> 00:37:56,339 Speaker 2: so on and so forth. But we call anybody who 559 00:37:56,339 --> 00:38:01,140 Speaker 2: does anything, and especially people who advocate anything good. Poor 560 00:38:01,259 --> 00:38:04,060 Speaker 2: Bill Bennett writes a book of virtues. Then it turns 561 00:38:04,060 --> 00:38:07,140 Speaker 2: out he gambles, and so oh he's a phone. He's 562 00:38:07,140 --> 00:38:11,379 Speaker 2: a hypocrite. Google Bill Bennett and hypocrite. You'll probably get 563 00:38:11,420 --> 00:38:16,140 Speaker 2: fifty thousand hits. Why is he a hypocrite because he 564 00:38:16,259 --> 00:38:18,100 Speaker 2: sinned and wrote a book of virtues? So what is 565 00:38:18,140 --> 00:38:20,540 Speaker 2: the solution? Nobody will ever write a book of virtues? 566 00:38:21,420 --> 00:38:24,339 Speaker 2: Do you understand that what you are saying that is 567 00:38:24,660 --> 00:38:27,939 Speaker 2: no one should ever write on virtue because no one 568 00:38:28,060 --> 00:38:31,460 Speaker 2: is so virtuous as to be perfectly consistent with what 569 00:38:31,580 --> 00:38:34,820 Speaker 2: he wrote. That's the end of virtue in this world. 570 00:38:34,819 --> 00:38:37,180 Speaker 2: If that's what we're gonna do to everybody who sins, 571 00:38:39,700 --> 00:38:42,500 Speaker 2: nobody can advocate. That's why clergy have such a terrible 572 00:38:42,580 --> 00:38:47,219 Speaker 2: it's so hard to be a clergyman. Ill. Oh, I 573 00:38:47,259 --> 00:38:48,980 Speaker 2: get that. I'm not a clergyman, but I get this 574 00:38:49,020 --> 00:38:51,059 Speaker 2: because I do, I, in fact, talk about I don't 575 00:38:51,140 --> 00:38:53,620 Speaker 2: use the word virtue, but I talk about moral qualities 576 00:38:53,620 --> 00:38:57,099 Speaker 2: and all this stuff. And I'll never forget. I saw 577 00:38:57,180 --> 00:39:01,580 Speaker 2: on some blog somewhere Prager's a phony. I saw him 578 00:39:01,620 --> 00:39:03,739 Speaker 2: once go to the head of a line at a 579 00:39:03,739 --> 00:39:07,459 Speaker 2: movie theater, which of course I never did. And it's ridiculous. 580 00:39:07,540 --> 00:39:10,620 Speaker 2: But even so, let's say I did. Okay, what do 581 00:39:10,739 --> 00:39:12,939 Speaker 2: I do? By the way, Hi, I'm Dennis Praguer, I'm 582 00:39:12,980 --> 00:39:14,540 Speaker 2: coming to the head of the line. I mean, what, 583 00:39:15,180 --> 00:39:20,220 Speaker 2: how does it work? You don't have many people selling 584 00:39:20,420 --> 00:39:27,700 Speaker 2: theater and think it's know who I am for? But 585 00:39:27,980 --> 00:39:31,219 Speaker 2: that's it. So all of my life's work was undone 586 00:39:31,700 --> 00:39:34,299 Speaker 2: because somebody reported I went to the front of a 587 00:39:34,339 --> 00:39:38,739 Speaker 2: movie live. But this is what people do this and 588 00:39:38,940 --> 00:39:42,259 Speaker 2: it's so, of course there's no hero. How can there 589 00:39:42,299 --> 00:39:46,219 Speaker 2: be a hero? He smokes, They went to the head 590 00:39:46,219 --> 00:39:49,339 Speaker 2: of the line. He gambled. I mean, the guy gives 591 00:39:49,339 --> 00:39:52,059 Speaker 2: a ton of charity. The guy earned it perfectly. Why 592 00:39:52,140 --> 00:39:57,100 Speaker 2: is that, all of a sudden such a horrific negator 593 00:39:57,180 --> 00:40:00,419 Speaker 2: of everything the man stands for? It isn't It's just 594 00:40:00,460 --> 00:40:05,259 Speaker 2: that we're stupid. It's the age of unwisdom, where we 595 00:40:05,339 --> 00:40:10,219 Speaker 2: don't realize that inconsistency is not hypocrisy. There is a 596 00:40:10,259 --> 00:40:13,100 Speaker 2: good chance you may not even know a hypocritical It's 597 00:40:13,219 --> 00:40:16,700 Speaker 2: very rare that people scream about one specific sin and 598 00:40:16,739 --> 00:40:18,539 Speaker 2: then go and do it the whole time and think 599 00:40:18,540 --> 00:40:22,140 Speaker 2: that they're not they're not sinning at the same time. 600 00:40:25,060 --> 00:40:31,100 Speaker 2: And finally, as to why the no heroes, no, not, 601 00:40:31,140 --> 00:40:34,820 Speaker 2: Finally I have I have two more reasons. People don't 602 00:40:34,859 --> 00:40:37,660 Speaker 2: want the burden of being a hero. That's what I 603 00:40:37,660 --> 00:40:42,060 Speaker 2: said earlier. It's a burden. People don't want the burden. 604 00:40:44,700 --> 00:40:48,660 Speaker 2: They kid, I'm no hero, and that gets you off 605 00:40:48,700 --> 00:40:50,299 Speaker 2: the spot. Then you don't have to live up to 606 00:40:50,339 --> 00:40:54,979 Speaker 2: anything right in the kid's eyes. And finally, we live 607 00:40:55,180 --> 00:41:00,460 Speaker 2: in the age of egalitarianism. Hey, hero means better than me. 608 00:41:00,739 --> 00:41:06,740 Speaker 2: That's inequality. Who's to say anybody is better than anybody else? 609 00:41:08,100 --> 00:41:10,980 Speaker 2: But by God, I pray, as I said earlier, I 610 00:41:11,060 --> 00:41:14,340 Speaker 2: pray to God, there are hundreds of millions of people 611 00:41:14,420 --> 00:41:19,259 Speaker 2: better than me. It's not only not struggling that somebody's 612 00:41:19,299 --> 00:41:22,660 Speaker 2: better than me. Health commit with open arms. That's the 613 00:41:22,700 --> 00:41:26,219 Speaker 2: way we should all feel. But no, nobody's better than 614 00:41:26,259 --> 00:41:29,580 Speaker 2: anybody else. And what has happened is nobody seeks to 615 00:41:29,580 --> 00:41:33,660 Speaker 2: be on a higher level. I am against, for example, 616 00:41:33,700 --> 00:41:36,980 Speaker 2: teachers being called by their first names by kids in class. 617 00:41:37,620 --> 00:41:40,620 Speaker 2: I think it lowers the teacher. And why the teachers 618 00:41:40,620 --> 00:41:43,379 Speaker 2: want that, it's for the same reason. I'll never forget me. 619 00:41:43,460 --> 00:41:45,500 Speaker 2: I see this. I'm sure many of you may do this, 620 00:41:45,540 --> 00:41:48,739 Speaker 2: and I disagree with you with all respect. When you 621 00:41:48,779 --> 00:41:52,020 Speaker 2: say to a kid, call me Jerry or you know, 622 00:41:52,140 --> 00:41:55,660 Speaker 2: or call me Sean or whatever your name is. Now, 623 00:41:55,779 --> 00:41:58,259 Speaker 2: if the kid does, I'm not demanding that you say 624 00:41:58,339 --> 00:42:00,860 Speaker 2: call me mister, or call me mss or call me missus. 625 00:42:01,259 --> 00:42:04,379 Speaker 2: That's okay, I understand that. But where the kid. I 626 00:42:04,500 --> 00:42:09,340 Speaker 2: have seen kids walk over and say, oh, mister Rosen, 627 00:42:10,060 --> 00:42:12,380 Speaker 2: it's a pleasure to meet you, and then mister Rosen 628 00:42:12,420 --> 00:42:16,140 Speaker 2: says no, no, no, no, call me ed. That where the 629 00:42:16,259 --> 00:42:19,739 Speaker 2: parents have raised the kid to say, mister, what's honor that? 630 00:42:20,100 --> 00:42:22,419 Speaker 2: I have never told the kid call me Dennis. I've 631 00:42:22,460 --> 00:42:24,339 Speaker 2: never told a kid who calls me Dennis call me 632 00:42:24,380 --> 00:42:26,859 Speaker 2: mister Prager. But I have never corrected a kid a 633 00:42:26,940 --> 00:42:28,779 Speaker 2: kid who calls me mister Prager. It's good for him, 634 00:42:29,100 --> 00:42:31,459 Speaker 2: it's not good for me. I don't care it's good 635 00:42:31,460 --> 00:42:36,820 Speaker 2: for him. I called all my parents' friends mister and missus, 636 00:42:36,859 --> 00:42:41,700 Speaker 2: all of them because we're not peers. But in the 637 00:42:41,739 --> 00:42:47,380 Speaker 2: age of me, of radical egalitarianism, everybody's everybody's peer. Nobody's 638 00:42:47,500 --> 00:42:49,939 Speaker 2: higher on a higher level, not even a teacher to 639 00:42:50,020 --> 00:42:53,140 Speaker 2: a student, not a clergyman. I the thought of me 640 00:42:53,259 --> 00:42:55,700 Speaker 2: calling any of my rabbis at Yeshiva by their first 641 00:42:55,779 --> 00:42:59,660 Speaker 2: name would not have dawned on me under torture. It was. 642 00:42:59,739 --> 00:43:10,340 Speaker 2: It was inconceivable call Rabbi fast egg fill. It's inconceivable 643 00:43:11,620 --> 00:43:15,339 Speaker 2: that that's that's the way it should be. Callers, there 644 00:43:15,339 --> 00:43:17,100 Speaker 2: are colers that call me Dennis. There are colers that 645 00:43:17,180 --> 00:43:19,299 Speaker 2: call me mister Prager. I never change any of it. 646 00:43:19,620 --> 00:43:22,499 Speaker 2: They do what they do. But you know how many 647 00:43:22,500 --> 00:43:25,899 Speaker 2: talk show hosts immediately correct. It's fascinating now that I've 648 00:43:25,940 --> 00:43:28,579 Speaker 2: pointed it out. Listen to it. How many talk shows 649 00:43:28,660 --> 00:43:30,859 Speaker 2: I don't know call me and then give their first name. 650 00:43:31,339 --> 00:43:38,219 Speaker 2: I've never said that to anyone who said, mister, finally, 651 00:43:38,219 --> 00:43:41,259 Speaker 2: what are the consequences? Well, well, the obvious one is 652 00:43:41,500 --> 00:43:44,420 Speaker 2: there are no more models, there are no more heroes. 653 00:43:44,460 --> 00:43:47,500 Speaker 2: There's nobody to aspire to. There's nobody to aspire it 654 00:43:47,540 --> 00:43:50,059 Speaker 2: to be Like, are we better for it? Of course 655 00:43:50,100 --> 00:43:52,980 Speaker 2: we're not better for it. Kids are certainly not better 656 00:43:53,020 --> 00:43:59,540 Speaker 2: for it. We have lowered standards. Obviously. Another consequence is 657 00:44:00,020 --> 00:44:04,540 Speaker 2: very very many otherwise terrific people don't enter public life 658 00:44:04,980 --> 00:44:08,540 Speaker 2: because they know what the media will do to them. Oh, 659 00:44:08,620 --> 00:44:11,180 Speaker 2: isn't it true that thirty two years ago you smoke 660 00:44:11,299 --> 00:44:18,180 Speaker 2: marijuana or god knows what? And they have a family 661 00:44:18,219 --> 00:44:20,980 Speaker 2: and children and Frankly, they just don't. They want to 662 00:44:21,020 --> 00:44:24,180 Speaker 2: be torn to shreds for no good reason. It's not 663 00:44:24,299 --> 00:44:27,979 Speaker 2: like these are bad things. They're just humiliating. That's all 664 00:44:28,020 --> 00:44:32,780 Speaker 2: they serve to do is humiliate. We lose out because 665 00:44:32,859 --> 00:44:36,980 Speaker 2: a lot of times the very best people have big flaws. 666 00:44:38,660 --> 00:44:43,140 Speaker 2: Churchill was great, and Churchill had flaws. Thank God for Churchill. 667 00:44:44,700 --> 00:44:47,140 Speaker 2: That's any smoke, that's correct. That's a very good point. 668 00:44:47,219 --> 00:44:50,020 Speaker 2: By the way, at the Churchill World War Two Museum 669 00:44:50,060 --> 00:44:52,500 Speaker 2: in London, they took the cigar out of the picture. 670 00:44:53,420 --> 00:44:59,140 Speaker 2: I just want you to know that. And let me 671 00:44:59,219 --> 00:45:08,379 Speaker 2: leave you with this final thought. We have substituted a 672 00:45:08,620 --> 00:45:15,460 Speaker 2: different quality for her hero and that is famous. Famous 673 00:45:15,620 --> 00:45:21,259 Speaker 2: has become significant, just as heroes have become insignificant. And 674 00:45:21,380 --> 00:45:27,580 Speaker 2: what we have done is we have elevated fame to significance. 675 00:45:28,940 --> 00:45:31,939 Speaker 2: So let me leave you with this Russia shun of 676 00:45:31,980 --> 00:45:38,660 Speaker 2: thought that in most of the time, the famous are 677 00:45:38,700 --> 00:45:45,459 Speaker 2: insignificant and the significant are not famous. Think about that 678 00:45:45,500 --> 00:45:48,859 Speaker 2: and how true that is? About who has been significant 679 00:45:48,900 --> 00:45:51,779 Speaker 2: in your life and are they famous or in your 680 00:45:51,819 --> 00:45:57,540 Speaker 2: community are they famous? And think of the famous Paris Hilton, 681 00:45:59,620 --> 00:46:05,020 Speaker 2: Lindsay lohand I mean giants. Each one are bigger giant 682 00:46:05,060 --> 00:46:08,739 Speaker 2: than the next. Have a We live in an age 683 00:46:08,900 --> 00:46:13,140 Speaker 2: where people are famous for being famous. We don't even 684 00:46:13,140 --> 00:46:17,180 Speaker 2: know what they do. They're just famous. And you know 685 00:46:17,219 --> 00:46:19,660 Speaker 2: what you say to kids when I do this? I 686 00:46:19,700 --> 00:46:21,580 Speaker 2: have asked class of kids, what do you want to 687 00:46:21,580 --> 00:46:24,900 Speaker 2: be when you grow up? Famous? More than rich? Famous, 688 00:46:26,540 --> 00:46:29,820 Speaker 2: famous for what doesn't matter? They never have an answer. 689 00:46:30,020 --> 00:46:32,460 Speaker 2: See if they say, famous for a cure for cancering. 690 00:46:32,580 --> 00:46:36,060 Speaker 2: Oooh okay, I like the idea, but they don't care 691 00:46:36,100 --> 00:46:39,140 Speaker 2: what it's famous for. It to be famous for going nude, 692 00:46:39,660 --> 00:46:43,219 Speaker 2: which is what a fanful or more are famous for. 693 00:46:44,219 --> 00:46:47,419 Speaker 2: It doesn't matter. It's the fame that is in and 694 00:46:47,460 --> 00:46:50,620 Speaker 2: of itself. So as we have gotten rid of a 695 00:46:50,660 --> 00:46:54,419 Speaker 2: truly moral category of hero, we have ended up with 696 00:46:54,500 --> 00:46:58,739 Speaker 2: the a moral category of famous, and that's who we 697 00:46:58,779 --> 00:47:03,180 Speaker 2: look up to. The famous. Oh to be famous and 698 00:47:03,299 --> 00:47:09,339 Speaker 2: famous people get what the hero used to get, adulation, attention, etc. 699 00:47:11,420 --> 00:47:17,820 Speaker 2: So that's my case for the reintroduction of the hero, 700 00:47:18,779 --> 00:47:22,859 Speaker 2: and perhaps most important, that we should all in this 701 00:47:23,020 --> 00:47:26,660 Speaker 2: next year want to be one. Our kids need it, 702 00:47:27,460 --> 00:47:31,980 Speaker 2: and even more than our kids, everybody else's kids needed. 703 00:47:33,259 --> 00:47:35,620 Speaker 2: So when now You'll understand if you ever hear my 704 00:47:35,700 --> 00:47:38,419 Speaker 2: show and a young man calls me and says you're 705 00:47:38,500 --> 00:47:42,419 Speaker 2: my hero, why, I'm happy for him much more than 706 00:47:42,460 --> 00:47:44,860 Speaker 2: for me, sonanth. 707 00:47:44,540 --> 00:47:48,700 Speaker 1: One, this has been timeless wisdom with Dennis Prager. Visit 708 00:47:48,779 --> 00:47:53,100 Speaker 1: denispragger dot com for thousands of hours of Dennis's lectures, courses, 709 00:47:53,140 --> 00:47:57,140 Speaker 1: and classic radio programs, and to purchase Dennis Prager's Rational 710 00:47:57,259 --> 00:47:57,779 Speaker 1: Bibles