No One Is a Hero

February 8

“No man is a hero to his valet”

- Old Proverb, found via The Autobiography of Malcolm X

Good morning, friend.

There’s an old proverb—“No man is a hero to his valet.”

Like many old proverbs, at first it seems to make sense: something like, don’t be a jerk. Because even if you’ve made it in life, you should still be nice to people who have not.

But that’s making a lot of assumptions. What if the aforementioned man is a nice bloke, is deeply respectful, and tips exceptionally well? What if he’s parking his car to go yet another charity dinner where he works tirelessly to right one of the many wrongs of the world?

And what if the valet is a hardworking sort, just two paychecks away from being able to quit to go through art school or finish a novel? And after finding success, this former valet now sets out into a new world, always remembering the man whose car they parked?

The parable must be false by that basis. Unless that interpretation isn’t quite right. Instead:

Life is a matter of perspective. It’s good to have heroes. But remember, your heroes are deeply human people who can’t just go around being heroic all the time.

In other words, being someone’s hero really is a matter of perspective.

Which means if someone thinks you’re a hero, you might be correct about all the reason they’re wrong to put their faith in you—while also being incorrect, because no one is a hero to everyone.

It also, just so you know, means you can see someone’s ugly side while still understanding other people rightfully believe they’re heroes.

Mostly though, it means something like this:

Some days you’re the hero,

some days you’re the valet,

And some days, you’re just the car.

Morning Reading is a daily email to help center yourself, reflect, and prepare for the day. It’s sent with love from your friend, Zach in Austin, Texas. He even drew the logo himself.

Copyright (C) Want to change how you receive these emails?You can update your preferences or unsubscribe