Whether it’s Superman or Indiana Jones, heroes have been at the center of blockbuster films for decades.
But who do you think is your greatest personal hero?
In a new study, scientists sought to understand the most common heroes in Britain.
Their findings highlight some key hero types, including family members, religious leaders and politicians, as well as writers, celebrities and even adventurers.
So, would you say one of these popular picks is your hero?
In a new study, scientists sought to understand the most common heroes in Britain. Their findings highlight some key hero types, including family members, religious leaders and politicians, as well as writers, celebrities and even adventurers.
In the study, researchers from the University of Exeter surveyed 1,686 British adults and 1,000 adults in the US about who their biggest personal hero was.
The results showed that in both countries, most people said their family and friends were their heroes.
These ‘everyday’ heroes accounted for one in three choices in Britain, and 41 percent in the US.
Politicians were popular in both countries, with Winston Churchill, Margaret Thatcher and Tony Benn the top choices in Britain, and Ronald Reagan, Abraham Lincoln and Barak Obama the most popular in the US.
Religious leaders were the eighth most popular category in Britain, with Jesus Christ, Desmond Tutu and the Pope topping the list
Human rights activists and campaigners were the sixth most popular category in both countries.
In Britain these included Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr. and Malala Yousafzai, while in the US these were Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X and Mahatma Gandhi.
And when it came to sports personalities and adventurers, the British chose Stephen Gerrard, Muhammed Ali and Steffi Graf, while the Americans chose Muhammed Ali, Michael Jorda and Chris Jericho.
Not surprisingly, several celebrities, actors and TV presenters were named as heroes.
One of the less popular categories was public services, with the British choosing Ebola nurses, firefighters and NHS workers as their heroes (stock image)
David Attenborough (pictured), Jeremy Clarkson and Audrey Hepburn were the top celebrity choices in Britain, while John Wayne, Tom Brady and Dreaming were the US contestants’ top choices
David Attenborough, Jeremy Clarkson and Audrey Hepburn were the top picks in Britain, while John Wayne, Tom Brady and Dreaming were the top picks of the American contestants.
One of the less popular categories was public services, with the British choosing Ebola nurses, firefighters and NHS workers as their heroes.
Across the pond, first responders, police and firefighters were the top choices in this category.
Heroes were significantly more likely to be men: only one in four Brits and one in five Americans said they had a heroine.
“The appeal of heroes is enduring,” says Dr. Ekaterina Kolpinskaya, who led the study.
‘We found that people’s gender and ethnicity influence who their hero is.
‘There is a persistent gap between the publicly prominent white male hero figure and a perpetually ‘invisible’ and ‘forgotten’ heroine.’
Meanwhile, the majority of the heroes were white.
Heroes were significantly more likely to be men: only one in four Brits and one in five Americans said they had a heroine. Pictured: JK Rowling, the most popular choice in the Writer category
Ethnic minority hero figures included mostly non-British political activists such as Nelson Mandela (pictured), Martin Luther King Jr., Malala Yousafzai, Mahatma Gandhi and Muhammad Ali, while only three Britons made the list
Non-white heroes represented just 15 percent of all heroes in Britain, and 31 percent in the US.
Ethnic minority hero figures included mostly non-British political activists such as Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr., Malala Yousafzai, Mahatma Gandhi and Muhammad Ali, while only three Britons made the list.
These included boxer Lennox Lewis, Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton and Victoria Cross recipient Johnson Beharry.
Dr. Nataliya Danilova, co-author of the study, said: ‘In both countries, ethnic minorities belong to a different group of ‘invisible’, and often overlooked heroes.
“But there was a much broader presence of non-white Americans in the ‘pool’ of American heroes.”