Today I want to talk about heroes.

Doctors & nurses aren't heroes. Calling them heroes (or saviours or angels) is well-meaning, but unhelpful. It is also, I worry, being used deliberately to undermine the professionalism of the medical workforce, & silence their voice.

[THREAD]

A hero is

"A person who is admired or idealised for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities”

The word hero is from the Greek, and had its first uses in those myths and legends about people of 'superhuman qualities and often semi-divine origin’

In the ancient myths, Heroes were nigh-on invincible, battling against incredible odds, and vanquishing their enemies.

These themes live on, in war movies, in comics, in Marvel.

Just LOOK at Thor. Wow.

Many heroes are unpaid, rich volunteers. Thor is a king and a god. Tony Stark has more money than he knows what to do with. Batman is a rich weirdo. Superman is from Krypton. They don’t work to pay the bills, feed the kids, pay off their med school loans. They ARE their work.

They are also (semi) invulnerable. Bruce Wayne’s fancy armour. Iron Man’s suit. Cap’s vibranium shield.

No PPE concerns here - these guys bring their own to the party.

When they died, they did so heroically. It was their job, their lot, to die in battle. Achilles & Patroclus. Heimdall & Vision & Dr Strange.
Their heroism stemmed from their willingness to make the ultimate sacrifice. Heroes aren’t scared. Heroes don’t baulk at personal risk.

How do we reward heroes? Not with cash, that’s for sure. You clap and cheer. You hold parades. You place them on a pedestal, one which does not allow them to come down to the human level.

What keeps a hero going? Grit. Pluck. Inner strength. Moral fibre. They are better than us. Stronger.

They don’t need appropriate working conditions, work-life balance, lunch breaks, or tea. They don’t need duvet days or cat GIFs or psychotherapy. They are better than that.

And if a hero is struggling psychologically, what do they do?
How does Ironman deal with his post-New York PTSD?
How does Thor deal with his food binges and alcoholism post-Infinity War?

By more work of course! More fighting! Bring me Mjölnir!

So, as we can see, heroes are almost entirely the wrong comparator with healthcare workers.

But does this matter? Aren’t the public, the newspapers, the media, just being kind and supportive? Am I just being grumpy?

I worry there’s a darker side to this.

So here’s a thing about heroes. They're only loved in the crisis. Batman goes back into hiding. Thor returns to Asgard. The heroes hide, slink away. They're a threat now. No one wants to hear their thoughts on social inequalities or healthcare funding models. Back in your box.

The hero metaphor is a useful tool for those who don't want to hear from doctors afterwards. The ’Stay in your Lane’ brigade.

Don’t talk about PPE or student debt
Don’t talk about public health or working conditions
Don’t talk about healthcare funding

Go back to the shadows

This is very different if the narrative centres around professionalism:
Their views matter, during the crisis, & after
They don’t need medals, they need PPE, equipment & training
They don’t work for claps, they work for remuneration commensurate with their expertise

So that is why I don’t think my colleagues are heroes.

They are more than heroes, more real, more important, more valuable.

They are highly trained, dedicated, caring professionals.

Thank you to all my colleagues who are working so hard in this epidemic. My heart goes out to the families of those professionals who have died, here and abroad. Thank you for your work and your service.

And I hope a grateful society will listen to you after this.

FIN