KeghartProf. Z. S. Andrew Demirdjian, Monarch Beach CA, 30 August 2024
At one time or another, most men and women dream of glory. War, quest for independence, science, technology, social problems, etc. are the most frequent areas that provide them with the chance to shine by rising to the occasion or excelling in an endeavor. If heroism has become the pathway to glory, then some of us readily act to earn it.
After being independent for nearly thirty years, in 2023 the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) was brutally captured in a sneak attack by Azerbaijani forces firing missiles indiscriminately at populated areas.
As a result of the wanton act, 200 persons were killed and 400 wounded. Within two days of the surprise attack, the defense forces of Artsakh surrendered while the 2,000 Russia’s so-called “peace keeping” soldiers looked at the barbaric act as bystanders without shame and remorse.
In September 2023, fearing of war and persecution by genocidal Azerbaijan, the whole population of Artsakh fled their homes en masse, seeking shelter in adjoining countries as refugees. The whole of Artsakh was virtually emptied of its indigenous ethnic Armenians.
Most sympathetic countries and international refugee organizations advocate the safe return of Artsakh refugees to their homes. However, no country or organization has promised to provide armed forces to guarantee the safety of the repatriates because of the well-founded fear of massacre by Azerbaijan. The usual verbal statements have been made that the Artsakh refugees have the right to return home. Such a flimsy assurance is not enough to motivate refugees to look homeward with confidence and a sense of security.
Many Armenians and non-Armenians around the world think that the Artsakh refugees should return to their homes provided their safety and security are truly guaranteed by a third party(ies). The burning question is who will rise to the occasion to inspire the refugees to repatriate.
I will briefly explore the concept of heroism, the making of a hero, and to see if heroes are born or can be made to learn to act courageously and unselfishly, and to see if heroes would be able to inspire the people to return to their ancestral Artsakh.
Let us explore the meaning and characteristics of a hero to serve as a model for the rest of the refugees to follow.
The Definition of Hero and Heroism. The concept and use of heroism date back to millennia. Homer, for example, in Iliad and Odyssey epic poems used heroism in his lengthy stories of men larger than life facing challenges and supernaturally overcoming them. However, only in the twentieth century, scholars began to study heroes and heroism systematically to build a body of knowedge about them.
One important area is what is a hero and what are its characteristics; are heroes born or one can learn to become a hero? A hero is a real man or a woman or a main fictional character who, in the face of danger or combat uses courage, or strength. The original hero type of classical epic stories did such things for the sake of glory and honor.
A shorter and a common definition of a hero is a person who is “admired or idealized” for his courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.
The scientific study of heroism has become a relatively recent topic of interest within psychology. As is done in a new area of study, researchers have offered different definitions of what makes a hero, but most suggest “heroism involves pro-social actions that involve an element of personal risk or sacrifice. “
According to researchers such as Z. E. Franco, K. Blau, and Philip Zimbardo (2011) in an article titled “Heroism: A Conceptual Analysis and Differentiation Between Heroic Action and Altruism,” published in Review of General Psychology, 15, p. 99-113 heroism as the act of someone who: ”Acts voluntarily for the service of others who are in need, whether it is for an individual, a group, or a community.”
It should be noted that there is a change in the definition of hero. Prior to subjecting the topic to scientific investigation, the focus was that a hero is an extraordinary character admired and idealized for his monumental feats. Today, the focus is on the functionality of the hero as an ordinary person doing unselfish acts to serve an individual or a community. So, you and I can become heroes. As such, we do not have to have the muscles of Atlas to become a hero.
Here is an example close to home. You are now reading the Keghart online journal. Its staff expends a lot of time and energy to bring to you an issue every month. In my book, they are heroes for they are doing something valuable for the Armenian community without seeking any monetary compensation.
Recent research findings show that heroes come from all walks of life –young and old, male or female, rich or poor, etc., but what are their salient characteristics?
Characteristics of a Hero. As is the case with a new area of study, researcher do not agree on the main characteristics of a hero or what makes heroism. A study published in 2015 in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology suggests that a hero has 12 central traits:
Bravery, Conviction, Courage, Determination, Helpful, Honesty, Inspirational, Moral Integrity, Protective, Self-sacrifice, Selflessness, and Strength.
Over the years, researcher have come up with further or similar characteristics to describe a hero. Here are more examples:
Concern for the well-being of others
Use of empathy
Understanding others perspectives
Having social-cognitive skills
Possessing a strong moral compass
Willingness to serve for the greater good of humanity
They are more optimistc
The above-mentioned characteristics of a hero is daunting. One may say only a superman can have all these characteristics. However, none of the researchers has suggested all these characteristics must be present in an individual. One or a few of these characteristics would propel an individual to act like a hero to be of help to others and to one’s country.
Zeno Franco and Philip Zimbardo have added two important characteristics to the above list: A hero voluntarily acts to help and he or she does not do it for any money.
According to some researchers, empathy, and compassion for others are key traits that contribute to heroic behavior. People who rush in to help or save others in the face of danger and adversity do so because they genuinely care about the safety and well-being of other people. They simply cannot bear to witness someone suffering and feel the urge to take action. Maybe in theory, but not in practice since the whole Western world stood idle when Artsakh was besieged by Azerbaijan for over ten months –no food, fuel, or medicine to have.
Learnig to Boost One’s Hero Characteristics. Researchers like Zeno Franco and Philip Zimbardo have found out that in many ways heroes are not all that different from most people. However, there are some skills to build, to learn that can boost one’s hero characteristics:
Building empathy
Becoming Competent and skilled
Being persistent in the face of obstacles
And other skills to serve those in need of help
These are all abilities one can work on over time. By doing so, one can improve his or her ability to help others and succeed in assisting others in times of need and in the process become a hero or a heroine.
Researchers are telling us that we can learn to become heroes. Unlike in the past perspectives that believed heroes are born, they can also be made; ordinary people can be inspired to engage in heroic acts. You are a potential hero if you decide to engage in an unselfish act to help someone in distress.
Based on my review of the definitions and main characteristics of a hero, I arrived at the conclusion that heroism is within the reach of the average person. The following encapsulates my definition of a hero: a hero is a brave and/or a decent person. For example, one can save a drowning person in a treacherous river (and becomes a hero) or inspires a fellow refugee to repatriate (and becomes a hero). In both instances, one helps a fellow country man. So, there is no excuse for anyone not to become a hero.
The Need for Repatriation. In 1992, the Talysh people of Azerbaijan declared independence and called their country the Republic of Talyjistan. The republic lasted only two or three months. President Haider Aliyev, the father of Ilham Aliyev, crushed the movement. Most of those who had escaped to Iran, returned to their homes after the end of the conflict.
There is one major difference between the Talysh and the people of Artsakh. The former is Muslim and the latter is Christian who fear of massacres by the Azeri soldiers who would be considered heroes of Azerbaijan and be decorated for bravery, or rather barbarity, by their president.
Optimism is the Pathway to Success: Repatriates are the only hope for regaining Artsakh’s independence in the future. The Armenians of Artsakh need heroes to inspire the refugees to emulate their acts of heroism.
When wildebeests decide to migrate for greener pastures, the entire horde stops at the bank of a raging river. As soon as one courageous wildebeest jumps into the river, the rest follow it to cross the hungry alligator infested waters. Likewise, Artsakh needs men and woman to return to their ancestral homeland provided they are truly guaranteed safety and security by credible third parties.
When I researched for the main characteristics of a hero, I found an anomaly in the list. Strange as it may seem, patriotism was ostensibly missing as one of the essential traits of a hero. I strongly believe that patriotism should be one of the most important features of a hero.
.My Artsakh friends, kind and well-mannered Mr. Sergey and Mrs. Elmira Apresyan, from Askaran (Artsakh), who are staying at my summer house in Garni, Armenia, are special to me. When asked if he would return to his home, he responded he would return if it would be safe for his family. The couple has two married sons and one married daughter; each son has two little children and the daughter has three children. To me they are all heroes since out of patriotism they all want to return to Artsakh.
Refugees like Mr. Sergey and Mrs. Elmira Apresyan should serve as models of heroes who, out of patriotism, return to their homeland. Their story will be inspirational to move other ambivalent refugees to look homeward for heroism is also contagious.
It took brave Armenians to win the 1994 War against Azerbaijan. It will take also courageous Armenians with drones to win Artsakh back. As we know, nowadays victory is not based on the size of one’s army, but the advanced drones in one’s arsenal of artificial intelligence, swarm intelligence, and molecular nanotechnology.
How to prepare for the return of Artsakh? As mentioned above, in today’s warfare, the size of the army does not matter. The technology of the platform inside the aerial unmanned vehicles (known as drones) are the decisive factor in winning the war.
Artsakh will always be Armenian–whether it is independent or occupied. The politics of its conqueror cannot change the truth. Armenia’s future generations should know that one day Artsakh will become independent again in the age of aerial unmanned vehicle (drone) superiority.
Optimism, coupled with perseverance, is the only pathway to success and the Armenian leaders should bank on that spirit by preparing now to regain what is truly an Armenian territory.
Whether in attitude or in behavior, if one has love of country, he or she is a patriotic hero. Those refugees, like Sergey, his wife Elmira and all the children and grandchildren, who want to return to their motherland will be the heroes of Artsakh’s history.
The Apresyan family, patriarch Sergey, lovely matriarch Elmira, and kind grandmother form the nuclear family surrounded by two loving sons and a beautiful daughter. They are the type of family that made Artsakh strong and an enchanting place to live. They all yearn to return to Artsakh to live in their homes, take care of their orchards, and tend to their animals, provided it would be safe to live next to the Azeri people. Their positive attitude toward their motherland makes them ideal persons to inspire others to repatriate to their ancestral land. Armenia, its vast Diaspora, the international community, international refugee organizations, including Azerbaijan should guarantee the safety and security of the Artsakh repatriates in order to perpetuate the existence of the indigenous Armenians in their ancestral homeland.
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Prof. Z. S. Andrew Demirdjian In addition to his active 
academic pursuits, he has devoted his time since high school to researching ideas on how to advance Armenia. Among his published works, he has two books on Armenian unity and hundreds of articles. Since just July 2019, over 105 articles have been published on Armenian affairs. To access his previous articles open the search engine 
of the website and insert his name.
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