Classical Heroic figure and limits of endurance (torture)

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The modern interpretation of the hero (See modern scifi and fantasy) gives us heroes who are incapable of faltering. The Picards and Blakes of modernity can withstand torture of any severity and possess seemingly bottomless reserves of endurance. Its rare to find a truly flawed hero ( i.e. one who will give up his friends for his own interest. Perhaps Avon from B7 might qualify but his is a redemptive journey)

My question for discussion is what are the reasonable limits of endurance for a classical hero? At what point would Picard break down and betray his crew. What would it take to make Duke Leo Atreides turn his wife over to House Harkonnen?

Is such a thing even possible? Perhaps the question is rendered moot by the fact that these men would not be heroes were they capable of being broken. It is precisely that "unbreakable quality" which renders them heroic in the classical sense.

Ive chosen "pop culture" figures for the simple reason that in classical literature and the writings of Ray Bradbury Asimov Stephenson et al heroes are far more vivdly drawn with more subtle shades.

Here is a link to an article and interesting quote that provides the suggested differences between a socio-path

and an X-Altruist..more commonly known as hero...

It shows that there are more elements of commonality that difference...

Main difference though between a sociopath and a X-Altruist though seems..a lack of core confidence..in a who a person is per self-identity or ego..

A sociopath seeks the approval of others always...

And an X-Altuist is secure in their self enough..not to need the approval of others..for basic psychological survival..

It's clear as X-Altruists in real life..like some law enforcement..firefighters..military..surgeons etc..

Do not care at all about if people like them to give them approval or not...

They are on a mission..to help other folks..and do it unwavering..no matter what the f**k anyone else says about it....

But interesting is that a person due to environmental circumstances..epigenetics and neuroplasticity..can be both in one
lifetime

Been there done that.. friend..

and have survived almost 40 days without sleep..in a torture of circumstance..when i was trying to be the hero..and recognized by others as such...as a culmination of many circumstances working together...ended me up in a torture that very few people have survived anywhere.. in history..

The longest documented period of no sleep for any human being is approximately 11 days..

or 264 hours...

I went 40 days with only 35 hours of sleep the entire period..one hour each night the first 35 with the assistance of a powerful alpha blocker..and absolutely none the last 5 days....

And yah..i was in a place that with the proper energy and tools..

I could have been a very bad dude...that would not be good for anyone...

but i
m an X-altruist again..
so all is kool..:)
And oh yes..i am still fearless...that part ain't changed..:)

The hero turned villain meme and turned back to hero is a common element in modern super hero movies..and for good reason..

With enough bad stuff in life..almost anyone can turn in to the villain...

even superman... and no I am not suggesting i am superman..

But yes.. i have been referred to as such by other folks for the merits of what i have actually done in .. life..and mostly with my brain ..not by body..
But now at 53 ..believe or not..my body..as i do incredible feats of physical merit..like dance walking 23 miles..at a mall..

And lifting more weight in a gym..than all the 21 year old marines...

I got the power..

the X-altruist power..and more...and no i am not kidding at all..and can prove all that i say..easily...with a few links...:)

http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/gue ... -villains/

And by the way ..classic modern day representation of an X-Altruist..

in an unusual presentation...

Forrest Gump

IQ
is not a requirement..

period.

Everything about Forrest Gump was autism spectrum (super hero)

Except for the pre-conceived notion about higher functioning autism and super high IQ..

Which is not all representative of actual studies..

at a little below the middle of the bell curve

at 98.

OH and by the way ..here's some of that proof i was talking about..

http://katiemiafrederick.com/2014/01/03 ... -wild-one/

I'm the kinda guy at 222Lbs..that could make guys like Chuck Norris at 170 and or Bruce Lee at 135 s**t their pants..

if i was so inclined ...
but
i am not..:)

I dunno. Picard is hardly unbreakable. He's a fragile human being who maintains a stone-cold exterior for the sake of appearances. He's no less vulnerable than anyone else.

It's Picard's fragility that actually contributes to and strengthens his mythic image. Without the close and TIGHT support from the inner circle of command, Picard is nothing. Nowhere is Picard more vulnerable than when he is forced to deal with the presence of children. And yet in despite that, he faces down the omniscient/omnipotent Q as though Q is a minor annoyance with nothing better to do than ruin everyone's day. What makes Picard superhuman, just as with any celebrated hero, is not Picard's weak humanity, but rather his ironically human ability to rise above his humanity and weakness.

We're all just regular human beings who do what we respectively do best. We are all godlike in doing what we do best, and we are all secretly afraid of something, whether we admit it or not.

Well my friend i am afraid of heights..

And that is all..

That's an innate fear by the way..

Humans are only born with two..

Heights and Loud noises...

All others are learned and in effect illusory..

Simply if they are unlearned..

It's a great place being completely anxiety free..

I once was diagnosed with severe anxiety and panic attacks...

It was not easy getting to where i am now...

but i am most definitely there.

and so are some other people..

Not everyone has fears...i am far far far..from the only one..

Some folks like me..are not even afraid of heights....

I have attacks of anxiety quite often. Thing is, though, I recognize those attacks as being entirely neurological and having no rational basis. Typically they only slow me down, but they don't stop me, and I don't bother trying to blame anyone or anything as the source of those attacks. If someone asks me, hey, what's wrong? I just say, nothing at all. Just feeling a little out-of-sorts. It'll pass.

It's my kids I feel sorry for when that hits. I can get snappy if I'm teaching a piano lesson. I like to listen to my kids practice, and sometimes if I'm feeling particularly disturbed, I'll be like, hey, just keep practicing. I'm going to take a walk down the hall for a little while. Your little brother is coming with me. You just keep going…you know what to do.

There are times that I purposefully give my kids a hard time to help them understand how to respond under pressure. Those times I'm feeling a little OFF is not a good time for that.

Yes.. very often i think that the actual anxiety attacks..and not just everyday anxiety..that a person could experience..with a cop following them to close or whatever..is physically based...

And often a a result of built up stress chemicals in the body..that have no where to go but the heart..circulatory system..respiratory system..etc...

And voila panic attack ..or anxiety attack...

The thing that seriously put the nail in the coffin of all my illusory anxiety..was reverse walking..which has now evolved into a very complex tai chi..chakra belly dance ..with the alternating patterns of reverse and forward walking...

There is just something about it that has helped to rewire my body not only for movement..but for positive outlook on life..

I use to be terrified to even walk in walmart..

Now i can walk like this straight across the front of the cash registers...when there are literally close to a thousand folks in the store...

It was a slow progression at first..but everyday my skill set grows..

And what was once a human being that had trouble holding posture standing straight..and had to copy his dam wife's walking patterns walking beside her..to even feel comfortable walking is doing this all now..like a completely different human being...

And i am dead serious..my ability for non-verbal expression has accelerated along with the ability to use my left hand as well as my right hand..along with what truly seems like an activity that has switched an epigenetic switch..and neuroplastic change in my brain...

And i am also dead serious that what was once an AQ score of 44 to 45 just last June..and the same for an Aspie Quiz score of 195 are now respectively 11 and 92...

There are definitely many more factors at play..

But when i was 21 i had a sudden desire to run backwards..and at that time before i was too afraid to be made fun of..

I did also increase my abilities for reciprocal social communication by leaps and bounds then...

Something about that reverse stuff and autism..

At least for me..as my motor coordination skills seems to be a big holdback in my non-verbal expression through most of my life..

And yes.. that is understood by science as 93 percent of human communication..in reciprocal communication...

So the motor coordination issue solved by reverse exercise...

Might help someone else too...

If they could overcome the fear of being ostracized by other folks in public...

And it just relieves any stress..i actually have my body so balanced now with gravity...

That i seriously feel like i am floating when i do this dance like walking..

And when I am in the backyard doing this..on a really windy day..and cold too...

i literally feel like i am flying..

And to me i have never ever experienced something this blissful in life...

It is priceless.. no one could pay me enough money in the entire universe..to stop doing this...for the simple bliss of being alive...

When i say i experience bliss.. in life..it's just not just rhetoric..and what i understand as god is both science and mystical...

But never really what i would describe as above nature..or supernatural...

Just mystery..

REally..
friend..

Good luck on relieving the anxiety..and i would feel blessed myself..

if the reverse walking could help you or anyone else...

:)

And here is a post i did on Autistic burnout if you did not see it that addresses the physiological issues associated with stress and anxiety...

If you are interested..:)

http://katiemiaaghogday.blogspot.com/20 ... ctrum.html

Mainly I deal with random anxiety by just isolating myself as best I can until it passes.

Like I said, most of the time, there's NO REASON whatsoever (externally) for my anxiety. It used to be easy to pick out someone I didn't like at the moment or some occurrence and say, hey, you're stressing me out, when, in truth, none of those people/things did anything to me for me to freak out. I just try to clear my head and remind myself there is no reason for me to freak out…this will pass just like a headache or a stomach ache, or like a pain in my neck from sleeping the wrong way.

If I have to explain it to anyone, it's simply "I'm not feeling 'right' at the moment. I'll be back in 15."

I suppose I could do something like take up smoking, but I suspect that would eventually do more harm than good! The last thing I need is to start chain-smoking when when an anxiety spell coincides with a nic fit…and then how would I tell the difference?