Different Heroes, or Why We Do What We Do

Recently, an email comparing the reaction to the death of Dale Earnhardt to the lack of reaction to the helicopter crash in Hawaii chained its way through the server system. It made a big deal about how the country was in mourning over a race car driver but didn't seem to care too much at all about seven people in a helicopter crash. While I agree that much of the grief over Mr. Earnhardt's death was overblown, it had nothing to do with the military, or why people perform the occupations they do.

First, nobody ever joined the Navy to get rich or famous. Unless you're a high ranking officer (say, Commander and up), the pay is, on average, pretty low compared to our counterparts in the civlian community doing exactly the same job. So money isn't our target. Nor is fame.

Earnhardt earned his money because he did something that most people can't do, or aren't interested in doing. Such people are not easily replaced, and as any economics major will tell you, the amount we pay for something is often in direct proportion to its scarcity. The soldiers who died in Hawaii, and every other soldier, sailor, airman and Marine earns his or her money by working just as hard, but we are easily replaced and far more numerous because what we do isn't competitive or, in most cases, all that difficult, thus pushing our income down.

Second, what drives us is often different. People become competitive athletes because they are driven to compete, and become professional athletes because they have a talent that puts them in an elite group. People paid to see Mr. Earnhardt race because they couldn't do what he did, at least not at the same level. In doing so, they became an adjunct family, and lived vicariously through him. That's why fans act the way they do. Remember, "fan" is short for "fanatic.

We in the Navy are not in a competitive industry. People become famous because they are better than others at the same thing, or are marketed better, and it’s because of the unique nature of their ability that they are famous.

Third, our heroes, celebrities and role models have rarely been those people in the trenches, as it were. They have always been those out in front, leading, or providing some service that they have used to make themselves famous. That's why most ships are named after admirals and politicians, rather than enlisted sailors, though this is changing some. For example, John McCain is famous not because he was in the military, but because he is a politician.

Go To Page: 1 2

Articles in this Topic    Discussions in this Topic