Are heroes and role-models still relevant?

Question

....In light of the revelations that priests are often pederasts; athletes can use drugs and steroids; politicians are vacuous power brokers; some police officers are corrupt or violent; etc., etc., ...What can young people model their lives after in such a world as ours?

Answer 1

My favorite heroes have always been the "un-sung" ones. "Hero" doesn't mean much these days. True heroes and role models are rarely recognized except to the people they have affected.  And those people are more than relevant - they are a necessity.

Young people can model themselves after those who were kind to them, those who taught them, those who cared for them, those who befriended them, those who made their lives a little better, etc. There are millions of role models just walking around out there. The question is will they be recognized by the people who need them?

Answer 2

What's wrong with modeling their parents? After all, they're the ones that wanted them to be here in the first place.

Answer 3

This Q: is answered and they are modeling their lives after these role models. Hence we have children with no respect, gangs, drugs, murderous and worst of all self-servant. So, not only are they still relevant but prevalent.

Answer 4

they are relevant, but it seems to me that the people that are currently called heroes and/or role models  aren't the same type of people that had those roles in the 40s and 50s.