---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When we see a hero, on the one hand, we…"
description: "\"When we see a hero, on the one hand, we applaud them; on the other hand, there is something in a lot of people that wants to tear the hero down.\" — Fre..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/930/frederick-lenz-8_applaud_when-we-see-a-hero-on-the-one-hand-we-ap_557555.jpg"
---

#  When we see a hero, on the one hand, we applaud them; on…

![“When we see a hero, on the one hand, we applaud them; on the other hand, there is something in a lot of people that wants to tear the hero down.” quote by Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/930/frederick-lenz-8_applaud_when-we-see-a-hero-on-the-one-hand-we-ap_557555.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/930/frederick-lenz-8_applaud_when-we-see-a-hero-on-the-one-hand-we-ap_557555.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/930/frederick-lenz-8_applaud_when-we-see-a-hero-on-the-one-hand-we-ap_557555.jpg)

> “When we see a hero, on the one hand, we applaud them; on the other hand, there is something in a lot of people that wants to tear the hero down.”

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

People both admire and resent heroes, reflecting a tension between admiration and envy.

**In simple terms:** Heroes inspire and provoke jealousy.

Key Takeaway

Balance admiration with humility.

Themes

heroism envy dualism

Mood

conflicted analytical

Type

philosophical psychological

When to use this quote

- celebrations
- public criticism
- personal role models
- media coverage

Key Concepts

psychology social dynamics

Questions to Reflect On

- Why do we sometimes want to diminish heroes?
- What does this reveal about our values?

A Different Perspective

May ignore positive aspects of hero worship.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Buddhism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buddhism/) [Hero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hero/) [Humanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humanity/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Tears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tears/)

## Related quotes

> [“But, self, that thing was on TV, and this one wants to tear your liver out your nose. Run.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-r-underwood/but-self-that-thing-was-on-tv-and-this-one-wants-to-tear-your-liver/)

[Michael R. Underwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-r-underwood/)

> [Whenever a toddler sees a pile of blocks, he wants to tear it down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-j-abrams/whenever-a-toddler-sees-a-pile-of-blocks-he-wants-to-tear-it-down/)

[J. J. Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-j-abrams/)

> [“Charity ain't giving people what you wants to give, it's giving people what they need to get.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/charity-ain-t-giving-people-what-you-wants-to-give-it-s-giving-people/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [God must trust some with money and fame because there are people He wants to reach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-white/god-must-trust-some-with-money-and-fame-because-there-are-people-he/)

[Paula White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-white/)

> [A people that wants to be free must arm itself with a free press.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-seldes/a-people-that-wants-to-be-free-must-arm-itself-with-a-free-press/)

[George Seldes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-seldes/)

> [I find people to be people everywhere. Everyone wants the same thing - be successful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-whitacre-jr/i-find-people-to-be-people-everywhere-everyone-wants-the-same-thing/)

[Edward Whitacre, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-whitacre-jr/)

> [People's wants are not fixed; they generally want what others in their chosen comparison class appear to be enjoying and what advertising presents to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-wilson/people-s-wants-are-not-fixed-they-generally-want-what-others-in-their/)

[Catherine Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-wilson/)

> [If you reach the people nobody wants, God will give you the people everybody wants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-barnett/if-you-reach-the-people-nobody-wants-god-will-give-you-the-people/)

[Tommy Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-barnett/)

> [Its not about how many people wants to have it, its all about how many people wants to keep it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/km-ii/its-not-about-how-many-people-wants-to-have-it-its-all-about-how-many/)

[KM II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/km-ii/)

> [“Some people want to see the northern lights. Some people wants to see the Grand Canyon. Some people wants to see the Holy Grail.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-hartwell/some-people-want-to-see-the-northern-lights-some-people-wants-to-see/)

[Luke Hartwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-hartwell/)

> [“Anarchism does not demand the changing of the labels on the layers, it doesn't want different people on top, it wants us to clamber…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-ward/anarchism-does-not-demand-the-changing-of-the-labels-on-the-layers-it/)

[Colin Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-ward/)

> [Hillary Clinton's raising the money from the people she wants to control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/hillary-clinton-s-raising-the-money-from-the-people-she-wants-to/)

[Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/)

> [I think when we're just given the same type of thing over and over again, with the same types of people, no one wants…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-gordon/i-think-when-we-re-just-given-the-same-type-of-thing-over-and-over/)

[Molly Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-gordon/)

> [“For the most part, the people are the same. Everyone wants something to believe in. Everyone wants someone to love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-niven/for-the-most-part-the-people-are-the-same-everyone-wants-something-to/)

[Jennifer Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-niven/)

> [Many people wants to be the president...they have ambition. Just ambition is not enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vitali-klitschko/many-people-wants-to-be-the-president-they-have-ambition-just/)

[Vitali Klitschko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vitali-klitschko/)

## More by Frederick Lenz

> [There are places that are very draining. There are places where there is another dimensional crossover but to a dimension that is not powerful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/there-are-places-that-are-very-draining-there-are-places-where-there/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [You can draw power from everything in your life. In order to do that, everything has to be set up in a proper way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/you-can-draw-power-from-everything-in-your-life-in-order-to-do-that/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [Everyone will admire you when you do well. What a horrible thing to do to someone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/everyone-will-admire-you-when-you-do-well-what-a-horrible-thing-to-do/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [Nirvana is a word that means enlightenment, being beyond the illusion of birth and death, the illusion of pain, the illusion of love, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/nirvana-is-a-word-that-means-enlightenment-being-beyond-the-illusion/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [I think the most miraculous thing is learning. I get out of the way and let the students learn. Then you get to watch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/i-think-the-most-miraculous-thing-is-learning-i-get-out-of-the-way/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [If you choose to draw from the inner well of free will, then you can make choices that are outside your current karmic patterns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/if-you-choose-to-draw-from-the-inner-well-of-free-will-then-you-can/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [A human being can only absorb a small amount of the mystical kundalini, you can be exposed again and again to it, but it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/a-human-being-can-only-absorb-a-small-amount-of-the-mystical/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [Enlightened people live in very charged states of attention, with a tremendous power circuiting through them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/enlightened-people-live-in-very-charged-states-of-attention-with-a/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [Only alone can you go into eternity. Only alone can you feel the transcendental light. It is not a shared experience because if it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/only-alone-can-you-go-into-eternity-only-alone-can-you-feel-the/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [The sound man, immune as to a sacrifice of straw dogs, faces the passing human generations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/the-sound-man-immune-as-to-a-sacrifice-of-straw-dogs-faces-the/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [Karma means changing planes of reality or changing fields of attention. There will be perhaps a resulting physical action stemming from the change of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/karma-means-changing-planes-of-reality-or-changing-fields-of/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [You and I are both life. There's just the experience of every moment. We like to call them moments. There isn't really such a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/you-and-i-are-both-life-there-s-just-the-experience-of-every-moment/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [Why waste your time being around people who drag you down? You don't live forever, at least in this life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/why-waste-your-time-being-around-people-who-drag-you-down-you-don-t/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [Everybody here is so caught up in the game of life they don't see death. They don't see beyond their deaths. They are on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/everybody-here-is-so-caught-up-in-the-game-of-life-they-don-t-see/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

[Explore all 4,399 Frederick Lenz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

## More Applaud quotes

> [“An applause is not just the recognition of good performance, but its proof of being different than the crowd.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/an-applause-is-not-just-the-recognition-of-good-performance-but-its/)

[Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/)

> [For many of us, work is the one place where we feel appreciated. The things that we long to experience at home - pride…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlie-russell-hochschild/for-many-of-us-work-is-the-one-place-where-we-feel-appreciated-the/)

[Arlie Russell Hochschild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlie-russell-hochschild/)

> [Reality shows have a lot to answer for. They applaud mediocrity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzi-quatro/reality-shows-have-a-lot-to-answer-for-they-applaud-mediocrity/)

[Suzi Quatro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzi-quatro/)

> [I salute you for your courage, and I applaud your perseverance, and I embrace you for your faith in the face of adversarial forces.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alanis-morissette/i-salute-you-for-your-courage-and-i-applaud-your-perseverance-and-i/)

[Alanis Morissette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alanis-morissette/)

> [Someone told me that a person who cannot applaud a friend for her success or genuinely smile for a friends happiness is in hell.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sannica/someone-told-me-that-a-person-who-cannot-applaud-a-friend-for-her/)

[Sannica](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sannica/)

> [We uniformly applaud what is right and condemn what is wrong, when it costs us nothing but the sentiment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/we-uniformly-applaud-what-is-right-and-condemn-what-is-wrong-when-it/)

[William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/)

> [Applaud to those who withstand the shards of compromise. May laurel leaves sit on your head, and life-long pride be yours for the taking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/popo-santos/applaud-to-those-who-withstand-the-shards-of-compromise-may-laurel/)

Popo Santos

> [“It would be a shame if you didn't applaud the photographer when you saw a beautiful photo; but you should applaud not only him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/it-would-be-a-shame-if-you-didn-t-applaud-the-photographer-when-you/)

[Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/)

> [I applaud Women in Film - not only for celebrating the successes of women, but for providing a safety network to mentor women and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cate-blanchett/i-applaud-women-in-film-not-only-for-celebrating-the-successes-of/)

[Cate Blanchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cate-blanchett/)

> [“pleased to observe, that you submit to reason and necessity without indulging useless complaint. I applaud this conduct exceedingly, the more, perhaps, since it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliza-parsons/pleased-to-observe-that-you-submit-to-reason-and-necessity-without/)

[Eliza Parsons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliza-parsons/)

> [There has never been an age that did not applaud the past and lament the present.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lilian-eichler-watson/there-has-never-been-an-age-that-did-not-applaud-the-past-and-lament/)

Lilian Eichler Watson

> [When 20,000 people applaud you as you walk out to do your job, it should be an inspiration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-brosnan/when-20-000-people-applaud-you-as-you-walk-out-to-do-your-job-it/)

[Jim Brosnan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-brosnan/)

> [The populace may hiss me, but when I go home and think of my money, I applaud myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/the-populace-may-hiss-me-but-when-i-go-home-and-think-of-my-money-i/)

[Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/)

> [“Applaud all forward progress. Research shows that encouragement, support, and recognition of success are far more effective than offering “help” when your goal is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-orlov/applaud-all-forward-progress-research-shows-that-encouragement/)

[Melissa Orlov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-orlov/)

> [“I don't expect congratulations for successful beginning, what I want is the applaud at successful ending.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/i-don-t-expect-congratulations-for-successful-beginning-what-i-want/)

[Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/)

Browse all 118 Applaud quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "When we see a hero, on the one hand, we applaud them; on the other hand, there is something in a lot of people that wants to tear the hero down.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Frederick Lenz"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/when-we-see-a-hero-on-the-one-hand-we-applaud-them-on-the-other-hand/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Applaud"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/when-we-see-a-hero-on-the-one-hand-we-applaud-them-on-the-other-hand/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/930/frederick-lenz-8_applaud_when-we-see-a-hero-on-the-one-hand-we-ap_557555.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/930/frederick-lenz-8_applaud_when-we-see-a-hero-on-the-one-hand-we-ap_557555.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/930/frederick-lenz-8_applaud_when-we-see-a-hero-on-the-one-hand-we-ap_557555.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“When we see a hero, on the one hand, we applaud them; on the other hand, there is something in a lot of…” — Frederick Lenz",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Frederick Lenz",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "When we see a hero, on...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/when-we-see-a-hero-on-the-one-hand-we-applaud-them-on-the-other-hand/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/when-we-see-a-hero-on-the-one-hand-we-applaud-them-on-the-other-hand/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
