In the paper "What Makes a Hero? Theorising the Social Structuring of Heroism" one can
read the following “The
study of heroic actions makes up an interesting point of intersection between
theories on the locus of human behaviour of which the bulk regards heroism as
an extreme form of altruism, designating the willingness to help others
despite a high risk of personal injury or death”.
Consider, for example, acknowledging the inherent dangers associated with driving a high-speed sports car at 360 km/h. This activity poses a significant risk of personal harm or even fatality. This prompts us to question: who stands to gain from taking such risks? The answer is unequivocal – solely the individual behind the wheel and the substantial financial compensation he receives. Thus, these risks embody the quintessence of egocentrism.
From my perspective, individuals like Sir Lewis Hamilton, and others akin to him, seem to contribute little more than the consumption of fuel and tires, accompanied by the emission of substantial amounts of greenhouse gases. Viewing sports car races through this lens, they appear more as an affront, particularly to those in the third world who stand to bear the brunt of climate change's most severe consequences.
In my understanding, figures like Sir Lewis Hamilton are essentially nothing more than an "environmental offender", paralleling others discussed in this context. What a disheartening state our society has reached when we celebrate such harmful conduct?
