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22. Claim: The best way to understand the character of a society is to examine the character of the men and women that the society chooses as its heroes or its role models.
Reason: Heroes and role models reveal a society's highest ideals.
Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the claim and the reason on which that claim is based.
时间：27 字数542
In this claim, the speaker asserts that if a person want to understand the character of a society, he/she has to examine the character of the men and women that the society chooses as its heroes or its role models, for the reason that heroes and role models may represent the society's highest ideals. According to my own observations and experiences, I would agree with this claim and reason used to support it to some degree, however, sometimes, especially in nowadays, when the truly definition of a hero is confused and uncertain, we can not use this claim to cover all the respects.
Before we going through the validity of this claim and reason, we should first understand what is a hero for a nation or a society. As for me, I think, a real hero which can represent a whole nation should be supported and acknowledged by more than half of its people, who are basis of one society and consist the wisdom and mores of it. Once a person is selected by the virtually all the people, he/she will be the one contains the fundamental will of the nation and reflect the character of it. For example, George Washington, the father of the United States, who no doubt is the whole nation's hero, represents America's will of chasing for the democracy, freedom, and equality for all the times. Also, Martin Luther King who are the model of a large group in America, represents the endless determination of fighting against discrimination. In this respect, we can use the reason that those who reveal a society's highest ideals can reflect a nation's character to support the claim.
However, as we all know that, the hero chosen by the public may sometimes indeed represents the highest ideals, he/she may just be a hopeful and desire objective used as a goal and motivation to stimulate those common people fight for their dreams. All of the heroes are just the minorities which can not represent the entire society. For example, many American fellows set Bill Gates, Warren Buffett as their heroes, motivating them fight for their future, however, it does not mean that present America is fulfilled with millions of successful leaders and investors. There are still poverty and starvation all over the United States.
Also, nowadays, the definition of hero chosen by different people becomes more and more comprehensive and one-sided which, in another word, not on the behalf of the highest ideals of a society, can not represent the whole thoughts of the society. An athlete can be selected as someone's hero for the merely reason that he help the team win the Superbowl Game. Also, a shining singer can be chosen as a great deal of people's super star for people's craving for his/her luxurious life. All of these as I just listed can not represent the entire country's or society's character
In sum, when considering about whether one hero can be used to examine one society, we should see whether he/she was supported by most persons in one society, otherwise, he/she merely just a hopeful dream or individual preference which are not the highest ideals of the people and can not represent the whole nation or society.
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发表于 2012-10-13 20:18:39
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