🏁 Axios Finish Line: Why you need a hero

Plus: Your personal idols | Tuesday, December 06, 2022

Open in app View in browser   Presented By Walmart   Axios Finish Line By Mike Allen, Erica Pandey and Jim VandeHei ·Dec 06, 2022 Dec 06, 2022 Welcome back! Smart Brevity™ count: 302 words ... 1½ mins.     1 big thing: Everybody needs a hero Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios   Whether its crime-fighting superheroes in comic books, neighbors who shovel out each other's driveways after a snowstorm or our moms, heroes inspire us. Why it matters: That inspiration we get from heroes makes a difference. Having a hero — someone to look up to — can motivate us and make hard times easier. "Imagine life without a hero. It would seem to lack something," says Susan Whitbourne, a psychologist at UMass Amherst. "We need something to aspire to, something more and bigger than just toughing it out, day in and day out." Let's look at some of the psychological benefits of having a hero, as demonstrated in studies. Remembering heroes in times of threat or duress can make us feel safer and increase our perception of our own power — making the threat easier to face, one study from researchers at the University of Leeds notes. Heroes also motivate us to put energy into our own mental and physical development, University of Richmond psychologists Scott Allison and George Goethals write. And heroes strengthen communities, Allison notes. Think of the stories we read and repeat about people in our towns risking their lives to save neighbors from burning homes or raising money for sick kids. They inspire and unite us. The bottom line: "It's a cure for cynicism," Whitbourne says. Share this story.     A message from Walmart Walmart is investing $1 billion in career training and development     At Walmart, a first promotion is often just the first of many — 75% of management started as hourly associates. That's just one reason why Walmart was named one of LinkedIn's Top Companies to Grow a Career in 2022. Learn how Walmart's mentorship and training help associates advance in their careers.     🦸 Your hero The cool thing about heroes is that they are unique to us. We all admire different people — famous, normal, real or fictional — for different reasons. Who is your hero? Tell us about them in a couple of sentences, include your name and hometown, and send it to finishline@axios.com. We look forward to reading your responses and featuring a selection of them in a heroes edition of Finish Line.   Are you a fan of this email format? Your essential communications — to staff, clients and other stakeholders — can have the same style. Axios HQ, a powerful platform, will help you do it.   Axios thanks our partners for supporting our newsletters. If you're interested in advertising, learn more here. Sponsorship has no influence on editorial content. Axios, 3100 Clarendon B‌lvd, Arlington VA 22201   You received this email because you signed up for newsletters from Axios. Change your preferences or unsubscribe here.   Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up now to get Axios in your inbox.   Follow Axios on social media: