--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For hero-worship often defeats its own…" description: "\"“For hero-worship often defeats its own ends; the boy who \"cannot tell a lie,\" the boy who kept his finger in the hole in the dike, tend to become myth..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/082/leon-ma-guerrero-84374_hero-worship_for-hero-worship-often-defeats-its-own-e_133568.jpg" --- # For hero-worship often defeats its own ends; the boy who… ![“For hero-worship often defeats its own ends; the boy who "cannot tell a lie," the boy who kept his finger in the hole in the dike, tend to become myths, admired perhaps but to be neither imitated nor equalled.” quote by Leon Ma. Guerrero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/082/leon-ma-guerrero-84374_hero-worship_for-hero-worship-often-defeats-its-own-e_133568.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/082/leon-ma-guerrero-84374_hero-worship_for-hero-worship-often-defeats-its-own-e_133568.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/082/leon-ma-guerrero-84374_hero-worship_for-hero-worship-often-defeats-its-own-e_133568.jpg) > ““For hero-worship often defeats its own ends; the boy who "cannot tell a lie," the boy who kept his finger in the hole in the dike, tend to become myths, admired perhaps but to be neither imitated nor equalled.”” Leon Ma. Guerrero ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Hero worship creates unattainable myths; the “boy who cannot lie” becomes an ideal that cannot be replicated or imitated. **In simple terms:** Myths hinder realistic role models. Key Takeaway Seek authentic examples. Themes heroism myth realism Mood critical thoughtful Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - leadership training - education - media analysis Key Concepts literary critique psychology Questions to Reflect On - How do you differentiate myth from reality? - What qualities do you admire in real people? A Different Perspective Idealization may discourage effort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Hero worship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hero-worship/) [Myths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/myths/) [Storytelling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/storytelling/) ## Related quotes > [I have always been fascinated by the supernatural elements in stories, whether fairy tales, myths, film or literature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trudi-canavan/i-have-always-been-fascinated-by-the-supernatural-elements-in-stories/) [Trudi Canavan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trudi-canavan/) > [“Myths are reality, born out of space.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vd/myths-are-reality-born-out-of-space/) VD > [Myths are, in fact...neither primitive nor untrue. They are, rather, a kind of poetry that helps us make sense of the world and our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-h-furrer/myths-are-in-fact-neither-primitive-nor-untrue-they-are-rather-a-kind/) Stephen H. Furrer > [Myths have a certain staying power because, really, they are aspirational - not always who we are, but always who we want to be.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-cohen/myths-have-a-certain-staying-power-because-really-they-are/) [Richard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-cohen/) > [It's not about superheroes. This is the method of universal storytelling that all people have... To me, they're the same as the Greek myths…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patty-jenkins/it-s-not-about-superheroes-this-is-the-method-of-universal/) [Patty Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patty-jenkins/) > [We overhype everything. We create monumental myths. There are people who still believe that Brandi Chastain and the U.S. women's World Cup team pulled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-whitlock/we-overhype-everything-we-create-monumental-myths-there-are-people/) [Jason Whitlock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-whitlock/) > [“Myths are lies; but I believe in the power of myths the way I believe in rocks.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-m-stirling/myths-are-lies-but-i-believe-in-the-power-of-myths-the-way-i-believe/) [S.M. Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-m-stirling/) > [All my stories are like the Greek and Roman myths, and the Egyptian myths, and the Old and New Testament.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/all-my-stories-are-like-the-greek-and-roman-myths-and-the-egyptian/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [Other people's beliefs may be myths, but not mine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/other-people-s-beliefs-may-be-myths-but-not-mine/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [When we lose our myths we lose our place in the universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/when-we-lose-our-myths-we-lose-our-place-in-the-universe/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [Hero worship has died with heroes, and if someone bows down today, it is to pick up something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-clifford-barney/hero-worship-has-died-with-heroes-and-if-someone-bows-down-today-it/) [Natalie Clifford Barney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-clifford-barney/) > [“Laudy laud! is my new phrase for the hero worship that butters the human bread.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-robinson/laudy-laud-is-my-new-phrase-for-the-hero-worship-that-butters-the/) [Linda Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-robinson/) > [Not hero worship, but intimacy with Christ.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/not-hero-worship-but-intimacy-with-christ/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [Trump wants to be the first American tsar. With his hero worship of Putin, his admiration for the apparent omnipotence of the Kremlin, schoolboyish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sebag-montefiore/trump-wants-to-be-the-first-american-tsar-with-his-hero-worship-of/) [Simon Sebag Montefiore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sebag-montefiore/) > [“First love, with its frantic haughty imagination, swings its object clear of the everyday, over the rut of living, making him all looks, silences,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-bowen/first-love-with-its-frantic-haughty-imagination-swings-its-object/) [Elizabeth Bowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-bowen/) ## More by Leon Ma. Guerrero > [“It is safe to say that poetry cannot be translated.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-ma-guerrero/it-is-safe-to-say-that-poetry-cannot-be-translated/) Leon Ma. Guerrero > [“But fidelity to language is often infidelity to thought.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-ma-guerrero/but-fidelity-to-language-is-often-infidelity-to-thought/) Leon Ma. Guerrero Explore all 3 Leon Ma. Guerrero quotes ## More Hero worship quotes > [Trump wants to be the first American tsar. With his hero worship of Putin, his admiration for the apparent omnipotence of the Kremlin, schoolboyish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sebag-montefiore/trump-wants-to-be-the-first-american-tsar-with-his-hero-worship-of/) [Simon Sebag Montefiore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sebag-montefiore/) > [“Laudy laud! is my new phrase for the hero worship that butters the human bread.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-robinson/laudy-laud-is-my-new-phrase-for-the-hero-worship-that-butters-the/) [Linda Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-robinson/) > [Hero worship has died with heroes, and if someone bows down today, it is to pick up something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-clifford-barney/hero-worship-has-died-with-heroes-and-if-someone-bows-down-today-it/) [Natalie Clifford Barney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-clifford-barney/) > [“First love, with its frantic haughty imagination, swings its object clear of the everyday, over the rut of living, making him all looks, silences,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-bowen/first-love-with-its-frantic-haughty-imagination-swings-its-object/) [Elizabeth Bowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-bowen/) > [Not hero worship, but intimacy with Christ.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/not-hero-worship-but-intimacy-with-christ/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [“It is pardonable for children to yell that they believe in fairies, but it is somehow sinister when the piping note shifts from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-is-pardonable-for-children-to-yell-that-they-believe-in-fairies/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [There are many indicators of advanced civilisations, but unthinking hero worship of the military isn't one of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frankie-boyle/there-are-many-indicators-of-advanced-civilisations-but-unthinking/) [Frankie Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frankie-boyle/) > [Unconsciously we all have a standard by which we measure other men, and if we examine closely we find that this standard is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/unconsciously-we-all-have-a-standard-by-which-we-measure-other-men/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [Truly, there is something to the idea that hero-worship is helpful, provided one worships a winner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/truly-there-is-something-to-the-idea-that-hero-worship-is-helpful/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [“They spoke as though these Princes are so remote from life as we know it that the smallest sign of humanity, the mere fact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-mitford/they-spoke-as-though-these-princes-are-so-remote-from-life-as-we-know/) [Nancy Mitford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-mitford/) > [“Christ invites us to assume the yoke, but we would rather ride in the cart. That is one reason why some find comfort in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-givens/christ-invites-us-to-assume-the-yoke-but-we-would-rather-ride-in-the/) Terry Givens > [“I see. And who is this author?” “Neil Fucking Gaiman.” “His second name is Fucking?” “No, Leif, that’s the honorary second name all celebrities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hearne/i-see-and-who-is-this-author-neil-fucking-gaiman-his-second-name-is/) [Kevin Hearne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hearne/) > [“If I were in his(Prophet Muhammad) presence, I would wash his feet.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hercules/if-i-were-in-his-prophet-muhammad-presence-i-would-wash-his-feet/) [Hercules](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hercules/) > [If youth is the period of hero-worship, so also is it true that hero-worship, more than anything else, perhaps, gives one the sense of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-horton-cooley/if-youth-is-the-period-of-hero-worship-so-also-is-it-true-that-hero/) [Charles Horton Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-horton-cooley/) > [Like a lot of people, I had this naive hope that Barack Obama would fix everything quickly. You know, the culture of celebrity in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ani-difranco/like-a-lot-of-people-i-had-this-naive-hope-that-barack-obama-would/) [Ani DiFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ani-difranco/) [Browse all 76 Hero worship quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hero-worship/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“For hero-worship often defeats its own ends; the boy who \"cannot tell a lie,\" the boy who kept his finger in the hole in the dike, tend to become myths, admired perhaps but to be neither imitated nor equalled.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Leon Ma. 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