--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Being a hero, the man had observed, is…" description: "\"Being a hero, the man had observed, is largely a matter of knowing one’s cues.\" — Lev Grossman" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8da/lev-grossman-747_being-a-hero_being-a-hero-the-man-had-observed-is-lar_1137495.png" --- # Being a hero, the man had observed, is largely a matter of… ![“Being a hero, the man had observed, is largely a matter of knowing one’s cues.” quote by Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8da/lev-grossman-747_being-a-hero_being-a-hero-the-man-had-observed-is-lar_1137495.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8da/lev-grossman-747_being-a-hero_being-a-hero-the-man-had-observed-is-lar_1137495.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8da/lev-grossman-747_being-a-hero_being-a-hero-the-man-had-observed-is-lar_1137495.png) > “Being a hero, the man had observed, is largely a matter of knowing one’s cues.” [Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Heroism depends on recognizing personal signals and acting accordingly **In simple terms:** Know your cues to be heroic Key Takeaway Develop self‑awareness Themes heroism self‑knowledge growth Mood motivational thoughtful Type literary self‑development When to use this quote - career coaching - team leadership Key Concepts Signal detection personal development plans Questions to Reflect On - What cues guide your actions? - How do you interpret them? A Different Perspective Cues may be ambiguous ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Being a hero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-a-hero/) [Hero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hero/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) ## Related quotes > [A hero is a man who is afraid to run away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/a-hero-is-a-man-who-is-afraid-to-run-away/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Any woman is just as capable of being a hero as any man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hayao-miyazaki/any-woman-is-just-as-capable-of-being-a-hero-as-any-man/) [Hayao Miyazaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hayao-miyazaki/) > [As an actress, there's nothing worse than not knowing your cues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-davis/as-an-actress-there-s-nothing-worse-than-not-knowing-your-cues/) [Kristin Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-davis/) > [Every man may be observed to have a certain strain of lamentation, some peculiar theme of complaint on which he dwells in his moments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/every-man-may-be-observed-to-have-a-certain-strain-of-lamentation/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [I'm more interested in knowing my cues than my lines. If you know what your cues are, then you know what your reaction is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-root/i-m-more-interested-in-knowing-my-cues-than-my-lines-if-you-know-what/) [Stephen Root](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-root/) > [To stick to the present situation would be something like a man who was observed in Times Square looking earnestly along the pavement. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-vickrey/to-stick-to-the-present-situation-would-be-something-like-a-man-who/) [William Vickrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-vickrey/) > [Maybe this was one of those times when being a hero didn’t involve looking particularly brave. It was just doing what you should.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/maybe-this-was-one-of-those-times-when-being-a-hero-didn-t-involve/) [Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/) > [Pat Metheny's my hero, man. I've got so much from Metheny's music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/goldie/pat-metheny-s-my-hero-man-i-ve-got-so-much-from-metheny-s-music/) [Goldie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/goldie/) > [I wouldn't mind being a hero to a kid. I grew up idolizing players, so I know how important that is for a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-damon/i-wouldn-t-mind-being-a-hero-to-a-kid-i-grew-up-idolizing-players-so/) [Johnny Damon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-damon/) > [I need a hero to save my life I need a hero just in time Save me just in time Who's gonna fight for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-need-a-hero-to-save-my-life-i-need-a-hero-just-in-time-save-me-just/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Courage is more exhilarating than fear and in the long run it is easier. We do not have to become heroes over night. Just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/courage-is-more-exhilarating-than-fear-and-in-the-long-run-it-is/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [Ultimately a hero is a man who would argue with the gods, and so awakens devils to contest his vision. The more a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/ultimately-a-hero-is-a-man-who-would-argue-with-the-gods-and-so/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [No hero to me is the man who, by easy shedding of his blood, purchases fame: my hero is he who, without death, can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martial/no-hero-to-me-is-the-man-who-by-easy-shedding-of-his-blood-purchases/) [Martial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martial/) > [A hero can be anyone, even a man doing something as simple reassuring putting a coat around a young boy's shoulders to let him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-dark-knight-rises/a-hero-can-be-anyone-even-a-man-doing-something-as-simple-reassuring/) The Dark Knight Rises > [We are conditioned to believe that the hero is always a man, but it might not necessarily be so.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vicky-kaushal/we-are-conditioned-to-believe-that-the-hero-is-always-a-man-but-it/) [Vicky Kaushal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vicky-kaushal/) ## More by Lev Grossman > [“It was about damn time something happened.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/it-was-about-damn-time-something-happened/) [Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/) > [We're wired to expect the world to be brighter and more meaningful and more obviously interesting than it actually is. And when we realize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/we-re-wired-to-expect-the-world-to-be-brighter-and-more-meaningful/) [Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/) > [“He was going to sign the papers and he was going to be a motherfucking magician.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/he-was-going-to-sign-the-papers-and-he-was-going-to-be-a/) [Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/) > [“Being brave was easy when you would rather die than give up. Fatigue meant nothing when you actually wanted to suffer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/being-brave-was-easy-when-you-would-rather-die-than-give-up-fatigue/) [Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/) > [As a writer I'm more drawn to villains who are just slightly mad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/as-a-writer-i-m-more-drawn-to-villains-who-are-just-slightly-mad/) [Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/) > [“He wasn't in a safe little story where wrongs were automatically righted; he was still in the real world, where bad bitter things happened…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/he-wasn-t-in-a-safe-little-story-where-wrongs-were-automatically/) [Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/) > [I love rare books. Not that I own a lot of them, mind you. You couldn't quite call me a rare-book collector. But I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/i-love-rare-books-not-that-i-own-a-lot-of-them-mind-you-you-couldn-t/) [Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/) > [By now he had learned enough to know that when he was getting annoyed at somebody else, it was usually because there was something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/by-now-he-had-learned-enough-to-know-that-when-he-was-getting-annoyed/) [Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/) > [About as close you can get to the perfect cerebral thriller: searingly smart, ridiculously funny, and fast as hell... I defy anybody to read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/about-as-close-you-can-get-to-the-perfect-cerebral-thriller-searingly/) [Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/) > [“It's true," Eliot said. "Statistically, historically, and however else you want to look at it, you are almost never right. A monkey making life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/it-s-true-eliot-said-statistically-historically-and-however-else-you/) [Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/) > [“God, I hope we don’t have to use that,” was all he said out loud. “Oh, come on, Quentina. We’re not looking for trouble.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/god-i-hope-we-don-t-have-to-use-that-was-all-he-said-out-loud-oh-come/) [Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/) > [I mean, when you're tired of book reviews, you're tired of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/i-mean-when-you-re-tired-of-book-reviews-you-re-tired-of-life/) [Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/) > [My specialty as a collector is books that almost have value. When I love a book, I don't buy the first edition, because those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/my-specialty-as-a-collector-is-books-that-almost-have-value-when-i/) [Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/) > [I used to write in a local coffee shop, but there was another guy, another writer, who kept sitting in my favorite seat. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/i-used-to-write-in-a-local-coffee-shop-but-there-was-another-guy/) [Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/) > [I don't know if I've ever derived such an immediate sense of calm and well-being from any book as I did from 'Right Ho,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/i-don-t-know-if-i-ve-ever-derived-such-an-immediate-sense-of-calm-and/) [Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/) [Explore all 379 Lev Grossman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/) ## More Being a hero quotes > [I wouldn't mind being a hero to a kid. I grew up idolizing players, so I know how important that is for a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-damon/i-wouldn-t-mind-being-a-hero-to-a-kid-i-grew-up-idolizing-players-so/) [Johnny Damon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-damon/) > [Courage is more exhilarating than fear and in the long run it is easier. We do not have to become heroes over night. Just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/courage-is-more-exhilarating-than-fear-and-in-the-long-run-it-is/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [I need a hero to save my life I need a hero just in time Save me just in time Who's gonna fight for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-need-a-hero-to-save-my-life-i-need-a-hero-just-in-time-save-me-just/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A hero is a man who is afraid to run away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/a-hero-is-a-man-who-is-afraid-to-run-away/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Any woman is just as capable of being a hero as any man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hayao-miyazaki/any-woman-is-just-as-capable-of-being-a-hero-as-any-man/) [Hayao Miyazaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hayao-miyazaki/) > [I want to give you something.” He slid the ring off his finger. “Up until this week, I’ve never wanted anything more in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-speer/i-want-to-give-you-something-he-slid-the-ring-off-his-finger-up-until/) [Scott Speer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-speer/) > [If we lived in a State where virtue was profitable, common sense would make us good, and greed would make us saintly. And we'd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-bolt/if-we-lived-in-a-state-where-virtue-was-profitable-common-sense-would/) [Robert Bolt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-bolt/) > [Nine! The Navy Diver is not a fighting man, he is a salvage expert. Ten! If it is lost underwater, he finds it. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-sunday/nine-the-navy-diver-is-not-a-fighting-man-he-is-a-salvage-expert-ten/) [Billy Sunday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-sunday/) > [What's the point of being a hero when everyone thinks you're a villain?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-hopkins/what-s-the-point-of-being-a-hero-when-everyone-thinks-you-re-a-villain/) [Ellen Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-hopkins/) > [The true secret in being a hero lies in knowing the order of things...Things must happen when it is time for them to happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-s-beagle/the-true-secret-in-being-a-hero-lies-in-knowing-the-order-of-things/) [Peter S. Beagle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-s-beagle/) > [Somebody asked me earlier if I thought it was really important to tell stories about women's struggles. And I said yes, but at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diablo-cody/somebody-asked-me-earlier-if-i-thought-it-was-really-important-to/) [Diablo Cody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diablo-cody/) > [True heroism consists in being superior to the ills of life, in whatever shape they may challenge us to combat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/true-heroism-consists-in-being-superior-to-the-ills-of-life-in/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [Being a hero means ignoring how silly you feel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-wynne-jones/being-a-hero-means-ignoring-how-silly-you-feel/) [Diana Wynne Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-wynne-jones/) > [You have to be very cautious about what you are doing for charity and things like that. I think you have to start with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juliette-binoche/you-have-to-be-very-cautious-about-what-you-are-doing-for-charity-and/) [Juliette Binoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juliette-binoche/) > [Heroes come in all sizes, and you don't have to be a giant hero. You can be a very small hero. It's just as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-lucas/heroes-come-in-all-sizes-and-you-don-t-have-to-be-a-giant-hero-you/) [George Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lucas/) [Browse all 42 Being a hero quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-a-hero/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Being a hero, the man had observed, is largely a matter of knowing one’s cues.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Lev Grossman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/being-a-hero-the-man-had-observed-is-largely-a-matter-of-knowing-one/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Being a hero" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/being-a-hero-the-man-had-observed-is-largely-a-matter-of-knowing-one/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8da/lev-grossman-747_being-a-hero_being-a-hero-the-man-had-observed-is-lar_1137495.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8da/lev-grossman-747_being-a-hero_being-a-hero-the-man-had-observed-is-lar_1137495.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8da/lev-grossman-747_being-a-hero_being-a-hero-the-man-had-observed-is-lar_1137495.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Being a hero, the man had observed, is largely a matter of knowing one’s cues.” — Lev Grossman", "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": "Lev Grossman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Being a hero, the man had...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/being-a-hero-the-man-had-observed-is-largely-a-matter-of-knowing-one/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/being-a-hero-the-man-had-observed-is-largely-a-matter-of-knowing-one/#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 } } ] } ```