Quote from Missy-A

Holden Caulfield, Tom Sawyer, and Huckleberry Fin were mine.

I had many heroes growing up: likable and real. They said words that were in my mind as mere thoughts. They didn't only teach of fun and adventure but life's complications.

Did you have any role models? Real life people that you liked not worshiped?

My Grandpa. Kind, Sincere, Loving, Truthful, and one of the best teachers I have had in my life. He taught me what it was to be a man, to respect others and their viewpoints, and lastly how to deal with adversity and tough situations.

The Three Stooges, Archie Bunker, Eddie Murphy from his stand up comedy days. But mostly my Dad and Grand Dad. The women in my life have mostly been conniving, cheating women, my mom and sister included. They have not served as good role models for me. They mostly look for simplicity and easiness in life while going through the most difficult hurdles to achieve the "easy".

A role model for me is someone who never backs down no matter the odds when he or she feels they are right. A role model is one who strives for better in themselves and leads by example. Never looking to cut corners to create that inner happiness, especially not doing so on someone elses back.

My grandfather. He was the kindest soul I've ever known. He always had time for me. He always had time for children. (He actually dedicated decades of his life to the Mason organization, participating in fundraising for children's charities without tiring.) In all the years I knew him, I never once saw him angry. At anyone.

Vin Diesel, George Clooney, Jason Momoa, The Rock, Arnold, Wesley Snipes, Mohammad Ali, my great uncle, my second cousin, George Foreman, Micheal Jai White, Micheal Clark Duncan, Richard Roundtree, Micheal Dorn, Kieth David, Harrison Ford, Mark Calloway, Ron Pearlman, Carl Urban, Hugh Jackman, ETC.

I would have to say my grandfather and real father, even though they had their faults like any other person they were good men.

I remember my grandfather on my real father's side, when I was about 9-10 years old he let me use his power tools to build stuff and he taught me about respect, hell he gave me my first taste of beer then I was 11 and he always use to drive around and do stuff and he'd let me tag along as well.

He had a temper on him, considering he was pure Irish but he was never mean and he loved my grandmother and man could he cook.

When I was young?

My dog.

Damned fine chap.

(Except occasionally when he ran off for days and we would get complaints from farmers that he's been chasing sheep. He was just rounding them up.

Honest.)

I could list some people, but in some ways I object to the term role models. I look up to certain men, and women who, to my mind, seem very great, and to call them role models is to insinuate I have the ability to model myself after them in any appreciable way despite that such men and women had talents, and abilities which dwarf mine utterly. Better to call them the people I look up to, admire, and wish to emulate.

Julius Caesar has always been a personal favourite of mine, although in all honesty I could probably fill a page with Romans whom I consider to have been great men, Nicola Tesla, Edward I, Yi Sun Sin, Horatio Nelson (oddly similar these two) Bernard Freyberg, Bernard Montgomery (many Bernards it would seem) Harold Alexander, Minnie Vautrin, Jim Corbett, William Fairbairn, Jack Churchill (probably insane, but still) Alan Turing, Simo Hayha, blah blah, I could fill many pages. Fictional persons: for all his flaws I must say Captain Ahab (can't leave out Starbuck, though) and similarly Mr. Kurtz because even failing, and in tragedy some people have a greatness (even if they're not real) and probably Santiago too for the same reason although more tragedy there, and less failure.

At the moment, based on his story, a man I have only lately discovered, but am I finding I much admire is Denis Avey.

Real people: my grandmother, my great uncle, my great-grandfather. It would take too long to explain why. In the interests of PC I should probably add more women :P in all honesty I could, but most of the women I admire are persons with whom I am either more directly familiar (who would thus be unknown to anyone here) or who are known for less striking, exciting qualities are thus come less readily to mind. Unfair, perhaps, possibly even sexist. Sue me.

Although there is a darker side to the lack of women. Some, such as Florence Nightingale for example, I do have an abiding respect, and admiration for potentially. However in many cases doubts are cast as to the veracity of their achievements. It can be difficult to know what they truly did in light of feminist scholarships pervasive, and distorting influence, as well as that of simple gynocentricism. On that note however I will put up Margaret Thatcher who, although I have little personal affection for, I respect (despite often disparate political attitudes) simply for being someone who achieved much, comported herself well, and did not rely on appeals to gender, political-correctness, or anything else devious or suspect as a path to success. It must honestly be a sore temptation for any woman in such a field, and makes for a real test of character.

Quote from Zuberi

Vin Diesel, George Clooney, Jason Momoa, The Rock, Arnold, Wesley Snipes, Mohammad Ali, my great uncle, my second cousin, George Foreman, Micheal Jai White, Micheal Clark Duncan, Richard Roundtree, Micheal Dorn, Kieth David, Harrison Ford, Mark Calloway, Ron Pearlman, Carl Urban, Hugh Jackman, ETC.

The young george clooney. Yes! I can agree on that, Zooberry.

Quote from dad_savage

I could list some people, but in some ways I object to the term role models.

This is closer to my attitude, but I do not object to the term role model.

If we was going for purely real life examples of people that I simply rspect and admire, there are some here that I respect and admire despite our differences(Percywinkles, dad_savage, Marx, rohara, etc.[people in that vein]). Other examples are historical, like Peter Kropotkin, Mikail Bakunin, Pierre Joeseph Proudhon, Benjamin Tucker, Henry George, Henry David Thoreu, Queen Sigrid, H.L Menken. The rest are personal aquaintances or relatives, like my husband and my parents. I happen to have several anarchist friends that would fit this as well.