I grew up reading and learning about the strong leaders of history. I felt I grew up in the wrong era as I wanted to be an Alexander the Great, a Caesar... A Hernan Cortez... I wanted adventure and to conquer something. I read up on these and others.. Life on the high seas in the 15th and 16th centuries. Now all the exploration and conquering had been done and I missed out.

It wasn't until years and years later that it really started coming out (Or perhaps I started paying attention to it) that these were figures who felt there was no value to the human lives they took. They all committed atrocities to further themselves. Alexander and Caesar literally slaughtered whole countries. Cortez and his men brought Small Pox to the new world that killed off up to 95% of the indigenous people.

The true story eventually comes out.

BTW... I am a direct descendent of William Van Ness, Aaron Burr's Second in his duel with Hamilton. My middle Name is Van Ness for this reason.

Unfortunately your last line is the truth. The winner always decides the story. This is why some in power are tyrants. If they are winners to most people they look good in the end.

Even this article is likely slanted in his favor, as from what I have heard, he did just as much, if not more, to instigate world war II . . . . [independent.co.uk]

I don't understand why we feel the need to trash one and glorify the other when in reality we didn't met the actual person. We don't know their troubles to accomplish what they did. Why can't we take the good from both stories?

I believe that in quite a few cases the truth wasn't even recorded, what got recorded was course of events altered as per the whims of those with control and authority. Also back it up with the human mentality of winner being a proclaimed hero, we get a 'history' where blame rests with the vanquished.

Personally, I feel that most so called 'villains' are creations of perspectives.

I find it interesting that very flawed people can do wonderful things. Albert Einstein seems to have been a poor husband to his first wife. Woody Allen, at the very least, seems to have been awful to Mia Farrow. Michael Jackson. Bill Clinton. Is it specifically men? I don't know, but it makes me wonder--were I in the position of power that these men were in, would I act better than they did? I hope so.

I don't believe I've ever had a "hero"?

If I had a paper to write about someone I admired it was usually about someone I knew really well. Who had managed through some interesting times.

Those are the people I have admiration for.

Not showboats. Just not the way I'm programmed.

Understand that we are all humans, be inspired by the good parts and observe the bad parts to improve should be the learn from history.

Repeat the good parts avoiding the bad ones, so accept that heroes are humans and achieve a state of mind where you do not need heroes, but you seek for examples of good deeds to follow and bad ones to avoid.

Another that is annoying is mother theresa... who became a goddam saint.... she let kids and the poor suffer because she thought it brought them closer to god.... yet when she became ill, she got herself medical treatment! fckng hypocrite and if you say any critical truth about her, people become outraged and offended on her behalf... morons :/

History is ONLY written by the Winners and those who backed them, BUT never by the Losers.
I often ponder over who/what will write the History Humankind after we are all dead and gone.