ROLE – MODELS AND IDOLS/IDEALS

1., Positive and negative personal qualities + an ideal person

An ideal person doesn´t exist because everybody has positive and negative personal qualities. But
we often take an example from somebody – mainly in childhood. When we´ve got the role model, it´s
easier to make decisions, because role model help us to decide.

Most of us admire people who aren´t at all famous but they are ordinary. Still, they are idols for us
because they represent certain human traits (vlastnosti) which we admire. Our parents, grandparents,
siblings or friends are often idols for us for their love, help, friendship. Our parents were and perhaps
still are our first role models. They brought us up and taught us to be polite and friendly. We were
taught to greet and respect people and help those who may need our help.

Idols are usually well-known in society. They are usually young and always look good and stylish.
They have their own fashion designers and stylists. Some celebrities are addicted on drugs and
alcohol, their behaviour isn´t a good example for young people. They don´t respect people around
them and they think they are better than others. However, their popularity doesn´t last a very long time.
Mass media often inform people about idols´ lives and create various scandals.

There´re some positive role-models people who organize live performances (vystúpenia) and mega
concerts to raise money for charities who work with orphaned children, starving people and insidious
diseases like AIDS or cancer.

But we have different opinions, ideas and we are, of course, stubborn (tvrdohlaví), especially
teenagers. They look for their role-models outside of family and school, e. g. sportsmen, film stars, pop
singers. They want to follow and admire them although they don´t know each other. The teenagers try
to follow their idols in everything – in clothing, hairstyles and lifestyles. They are prepared to travel
long distances and pay lot of money just to have a chance to see their idol alive and this is a big
business mainly for those famous people.

We often speak about heroes. Every country has important personalities in their history who become
idols for many generations. They often include politicians or artists. Heroes are also people who have
difficult or challenging (náročné) jobs, such as volunteers in regions of war or natural catastrophes, fire-
fighters, soldiers or doctors. We admire their qualities, such as courage, talent, energy, charm, sense of
humour, etc. They are also brave and they risk their lives to help the victims.

Fictional heroes – heroes from books, films or plays often become idols admired by generations of
readers. Some film heroes are handsome, strong and brave; others are violent or have superhuman
characteristics.

But who is actually hero? Nobody is born as a hero but life situations are so unexpected that even
poor, homeless or ordinary people can become heroes from time to time. Everyone of us can be a
hero. For example, when somebody is drowning (topí sa) and we see it, we are ready to help and save
him. It isn´t planned, it´s a human instinct. It depends on character, behaviour, situation and type of
people.

Positive and negative traits of a person, the ideal person, criteria of values
We have been learning how to get on with other people and how to cope wit the problems since
our childhood. Every person has both positive and negative qualities, but every person is
a unique personality. To give an example of positive qualities, we can mention generosity,
tolerance, helpfulness and frankness. A person with negative qualities is usually lazy, selfish,
envious, greedy or hypocrite. The ideal person doesn´t exist, but we all should try to put the
accent on positive traits when we want to judge other people.
Every society is based on a certain hierarchy of values. Love, health, faith, family and friendship
are usually the top values, but for some people money and career are the most important
values.
b) The person I respect
My mother, who taught me to walk my first steps and who has always been there for me as my
support whenever needed, is the person I respect the most. She has made an unforgettable
impact on my [Link] has provided things for me that no other person could. She has taught me
to respect other people and help those people who are in need. She always gives me good advice
and I know that she will do everything to help me because she really cares about me.
I´m sure that she will never betray me. I think it is also good that she is older than me because
she has more experience and deeper insight. I admire her for optimism in all difficult life
[Link] is because of her that I have the determination to gain the most out of my education,
and it is because of her that I hope to achieve my future goals. She has positively affected me in
many different ways, and I am glad to have a mother such as her. She has not only been my
mother and helped me stay on the right path, but she has also been the best friend I have always
counted on.
c) Real-life and literary heroes
Role models are inspirational people who encourage others to progress and work toward self-
improvement. They are especially important for today’s youth and can play an important role in
shaping our society. Role models have the ability to focus their efforts on others rather than on
themselves. Role models inspire others not only by their words, but more so by their actions that
move us to do the same. Role models help others by offering good examples, by inspiring others
realize the endless possibilities to reach their goals, and by moving others to be the best that
they can be.
Family is extremely important for shaping our personal qualities, here we make first contacts
with other people. School is another important part in our personal development. When we
enter school, we become a part of society. Here we should learn how to split the differences to be
able to cooperate with other people. Teenagers look for role models outside their family or
school. Because teenagers love music, movies or sport, they often choose people like pop singers,
movie stars and famous sportsmen for their role models. The teenagers admire and follow their
idols nearly in everything. So the influence of these people is unimaginably enormous. Some
celebrities are drug and alcohol addicted, they are eccentric and wild. They don’t respect other
people and they think they are better than others. To copy the behaviour of these people, can
have bad consequences for young people. However, there are some famous people who can be
regarded as positive role models because they organise live performances and concerts to raise
money for charities and help people in need. Good role models can be found in literary works,
too. Most literary heroes are people with high morals. Then there are real-life heroes –
lifeguards, soldiers, fire-fighters or doctors. These people are brave and they risk their lives to
help the victims of natural and man – made disasters, such as earthquakes, floods and war.
d) Heroes are not born, they may become one (person’s reaction in a critical
situation) Heros aren't born, they're just like any of us. Heroes are often everyday people who
find themselves in extraordinary situations. Sometimes they act instinctively, like protecting a
friend from being bullied or put down. A hero has to overcome his own fears and issues and
doubts before standing up to face adversity. Everybody can be that hero, too. There are
thousands of opportunities around us all the time.
e) Me as a hero
Sometimes we make the mistake of believing that the only heroes out there are the people we
watch on television, read about in news reports, or see in the movies. The truth is that each one
of us has the ability to become a hero to someone. An everyday person like me could be a hero
by giving food to the poor or by buying something from someone who will give the money to
a good cause. We can also help people with their problems and volunteer more often to help the
world.