The Psychological Underpinnings of the Pursuit of Heroics
Chasing Immortality and Purpose
In The Denial of Death (1973), American cultural anthropologist Ernest Becker explores the concept of heroism as a fundamental human drive, deeply connected to our awareness of mortality. Becker argues that humans, uniquely aware of their own inevitable death, develop cultural and psychological mechanisms to manage the terror that this awareness brings. Heroism, according to Becker, is one of the primary ways we attempt to transcend death and achieve a sense of immortality.
Becker argues that humans are unique in their awareness of death, leading to a deep-seated existential anxiety. To cope with this anxiety, individuals create and pursue what he calls ‘immortality projects’ or heroic pursuits — endeavors that give their lives meaning and make them feel part of something larger and more enduring than themselves.
Every culture, according to Becker, provides its members with a hero system, a way to achieve a sense of personal significance that transcends the physical self. By participating in culturally endorsed forms of heroism, individuals can feel that their lives have meaning beyond their eventual death.
Heroic acts, in Becker’s view, are not just about courage or bravery in the face of danger. They are often…
