The Oscillating Impulse to Commit to Moral Heroism

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Encountering moral heroism can evoke conflicting impulses within individuals, leading to a constant oscillation between the commitment to help others in need and the desire to retreat for self-preservation. This inner battle is exemplified by the author's personal experience of feeling inspired by heroes like Mother Teresa but then experiencing moments of apathy and defeat when faced with the enormity of global suffering. The author's struggle reflects the internal conflict many people face in reconciling their moral obligations towards others with their instinct for self-preservation and personal comfort.

Martin Luther King Jr. explained that, “Structures of evil do not crumble by passive waiting. Evil must be attacked by a counteracting persistence, by the day-to-day assault of the battering rams of justice.” We tend to retreat from this challenge. We think it’s not our place to be drum majors of justice. We feel too small in comparison with our moral heroes. But our moral heroes have feet of clay. When we realize that, can we better strive to be like them? In the speech titled “The Drum Major Instinct”, King encourages us to think boldly enough about ourselves to try to be out front, to be a drum major for justice.