Why is shackleton a hero

We had seen God in His splendors, heard the text that Nature renders. We had reached the naked soul of man. William Colvill, Cannon Falls, Minnesota. In thinking this way, heroism is thus dependent on occasion.

However, simply defining actions in one specific event is a flawed approach to identifying heroism. Instead, it is the legacy of these heroic actions that must be recognized in order to completely interpret heroism. The trait of heroism is a hallmark of those whose actions represent the pinnacle of human aspiration.

Therefore, heroic actions must craft a legacy that society should strive to achieve on any occasion. Rarely have people throughout history achieved the prestige associated with leaving a heroic legacy. One of these few elite heroes is Sir Ernest Shackleton, regarded as the greatest Antarctic explorer of all time.

Shackleton was an Irish explorer born with a knack for stellar leadership, a blessing that few men throughout history have been gifted. Throughout his lifetime, Shackleton partook in four major expeditions to the Antarctic, and yet surprisingly, his fame arose not from the successes of his travels, but from his failures.

A few months into their voyage to the Antarctic, Shackleton's ship, the Endurance became trapped in the pack ice of the Weddell Sea, and was crushed in October of Left alone on the ice, Shackleton and his crew commenced an epic journey to find rescue miles away in the form of South Georgia Island. The Endurance crew spent nearly seven months on the ice and in foot long boats in their quest for survival.

Damn the Admiralty. Shackleton himself summarizes the crowning accomplishment of his legacy; leading his entire crew to rescue from the Antarctic without losing a single man. In not practicing strict disciplinary measures, Shackleton developed a strong bond of trust with his crew. This bond of trust was then bolstered by the fairness exhibited by Shackleton. Because of this, the crew respected the decisions Shackleton made as a leader and trusted that these decisions were in the best interests of the crew.

Shackleton, said Riffenburgh, wanted fame and fortune but he wanted to be alive to appreciate them. He was an inspiration who instilled a belief that the marooned men would survive and get home. It was a simple message that Shackleton frequently reinforced to ensure the men never lost sight of the goal — safety and survival. Although a handful of the castaways were hardened polar types with experience on the ice, most of the men were novices and totally ill-prepared for the ordeal.

Many were ordinary seamen employed to bring Endurance to the Antarctic coast or young scientists on field-trips.

One was an artist and another had stowed away. To avoid any troublesome build-up of cliques or running conflicts, he insisted the men did not spend longer than a week sharing a tent with the same man. Shackleton instinctively understood the importance of teamwork and threw a protective cloak around his men. All were treated equally and he took particular care of anyone struggling to cope. He made each person feel as though they were as important as the next and there were no favourites.

Scientists shared the same chores with sailors and sailors helped take scientific readings. When the winter clothing was distributed, Shackleton ensured the crew were supplied before the officers and during one horrendous boat journey he gave his mittens to a desperate colleague.

He was intensely loyal to his men and expected full support in return. On occasions he could be vindictive when his leadership was questioned. Shackleton refused to approve the Polar Medal to four men on Endurance because of perceived disloyalty.

Almost days had passed since they had stood on dry land. Shackleton's mile journey in a tiny boat, the James Caird, back to South Georgia is the stuff of legend, as is his insane descent down a glacier, wearing the remains of a dinner suit. And the point is this: not one of his men died.

He held them together, he rescued them, he saved them all. In a modern age that's fixated on success, Sir Ernest Shackleton should be the patron saint of enterprise. He never achieved what he set out to do, but he did achieve indisputable greatness.