The article discusses the lack of strong individual leadership against Donald Trump and draws parallels to historical figures who stood up against oppression. It explores the reasons why potential heroes are often hesitant to act, including fear of failure, the perception of pointlessness, and the emotional burden of seeking visibility in a solo struggle. Ultimately, it suggests that the quest for heroism can be morally taxing and fraught with self-doubt, as highlighted through the example of Roy Huggins from the blacklist era.
It’s hard to take a risk, but it’s especially hard when you feel like there’s no point, that you’ll fail, or worse, that you’ll be the only one out there doing it.
Everyone’s looking for our Tank Man, staring down a column of tanks, all by himself, in Tiananmen Square. Why don't we see that person?
To risk pointlessness is to risk foolishness, frivolousness, fatuity, inanity. It can even feel like moral slovenliness.
When you’re thinking of becoming a hero, you feel like a slob. You feel, do you really have a right to do that?
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