I just watched a video of C. B. Sullenberger, the pilot in charge of the miracle landing of a commercial airliner on the Hudson River a few years ago. The plane flew into a flock of large birds, some of which hit and disabled both engines. With no power, Sully glided the plan to a crash landing on the Hudson. Everyone escaped alive. If he had tried to make it to an airport, they might all have died. If he had hit the water with either wing before the body of the plane, they might all have died. He did everything just right, including ignoring air traffic control to focus on landing and telling the passengers to brace for impact. He is the greatest hero of America commercial airline history.

I had my own chance to be a hero on New Year’s Eve two years ago when I witnessed two young men fighting in a crowded street. The biggest man (let’s call him Goliath) held a small one down and hit him repeatedly in the face. Other young men in group ran around. After a few seconds, I started yelling at Goliath to stop, but the scene was so noisy, he could not have heard me. While I was still thinking about what to do, a police officer on a bicyle rode directly into Goliath, jumped off his bike, and tried to wrestle the giant to the street. Another officer arrived a few seconds later and helped him. Then other officers arrived. Someone in the crowd ran behind an officer and hit him on the helmet. Police then subdued and handcuffed that man.

What made Sully a hero and me not? Sully had simulator training in the type of situation he faced. That gave him the needed knowledge and confidence to act. The same is true for the officers who took charge of a chaotic street situation.

Being a hero takes knowledge and confidence. It takes focus, rather than panic.  It also sometimes takes courage. That was true for the officers. See this blog entry about military pilots looking to ram in midair a plane being flown by a 9/11 terrorist: https://blog.une.edu.au/usingpsychology/2011/12/19/how-brave-are-you/.

Finally, being a hero takes caring about others. The officers wanted to help the person who was being beaten senseless. Sully wanted to save everyone on board, not just himself.

So, if you want to be a hero, you will need to (1) care about others involved in a dangerous situation, (2) know what you are doing, (3) muster your courage, and (4) keep focused on the task, without panicking. Luck could also be helpful — dangerous situations can go very wrong.

By the way, in the street scene where I could have been a hero, I never hesitated because of diffusion of responsibility. I reckoned that not one of the hundreds of people present would intervene and that I was the one to do something. I thought that way because I have studied psychology!

Have you been a hero? What did you do? Did you show the four characteristics I mentioned above?

John Malouff, PhD, JD, Assoc Prof of Psychololy