The 0.1% heroes

Most books I read leave me with questions — some answers too — but mostly with ideas, compassion, and curiosity. As someone who loves to challenge the boundaries of perception and meaning, I’m naturally drawn to authors like Dostoevsky, Kafka, and Camus. I had a wonderful mental adventure while finishing The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus. As a student, I had heard about the man punished by the gods to push the rock up the hill, only for it to roll back down — an endless struggle. But reading the whole book, understanding Camus’s vision in full, was a revelation.

My train of thought led me to the topic of heroes — those with the character and willpower to overcome hardships, to fight almost impossible battles, to sacrifice so much, even their lives. They leave behind admiration and often idolization.

Yet I can’t help but feel compassion — for their pain, their loss of youth, health, and the simple human experiences they’ll never have. Think of such real heroes or freedom fighters from your own history — many never built a home, never grew grey hair, never felt the touch of love or the laughter of their own children.

Then I realized: in most cases, heroes or instigators of change are around 1–5% of the population; the “supporters” maybe 20% (traitors included); and the rest — 70–75% — are just… spectators. (I even asked ChatGPT to confirm or deny this hypothesis — and surprisingly, it agreed, even with the percentages.)So, roughly 25% of people actually move history — which partly explains why those few must sacrifice so much… sometimes everything.

But what if we changed that ratio? If every person contributed just 0.1% of effort, empathy, or awareness, couldn’t we all become part of the movement of history? I’m not talking about heroism in the grand sense, not even 1% — just a fraction . Imagine what 0.1% means: picking up a plastic bottle, smiling at your neighbour, choosing not to be aggressive today, planting a tree. If you can add more % to the table, that would only be good.

There are also other kinds of heroes — the “shadow” ones, unknown to the public. Only their loved ones know them (sometimes not even fully). They put their own needs aside for the sake of others, racing against time as if they know they won’t last long living this way.They make homes, neighbourhoods, cities — the world — better, quietly and selflessly. And when their light finally goes out, leaving only a thin trail of smoke, then we start glorifying their deeds.

These are fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, friends, lovers — sometimes even strangers.

I wish you were alive, not a hero...