So who are some of your real life heroes?

[A Horse With No Name]

For me:

Richard Dawkins

Carl Sagan

Lance Armstrong

Ellen Degeneres

Jay Leno

Mark Martin (esp. now that he is racing a Chevy!)

Danica Patrick

Paul McCartney

Dwight Eisenhower

George Patton

Dan Barker

Christopher Hitchens

Barrack Obama

James Taylor-Musician

How about you all...who do you look up to?

[Drew Dowdell]

I can't say that I look up to anyone of celebrity at all.

The only hero I have is my Great-Grandfather.

[SAmadei]

I don't like calling them heros, per se.

But a incomplete list would include...

Benjamin Franklin

Abraham Lincoln

Leonardo DaVinci

Gottfried Leibniz

Nikola Tesla

Albert Einstein

George Carlin

Sam Kinison

Douglas Adams

Charles M. Schulz

Scott Adams

Linus Torvalds

[A Horse With No Name]

Interesting list, I find Leonardo DaVinci very interesting, and love Charles M Schultz.

Maybe hero is too strong of a word, people you really look up to then/admire.

[Camino LS6]

I also resist the term "hero", but there are many people who's lives, or work, or thinking mean a great deal to me.

Zora Arkus Duntov

Justin Hayward

Richard Bach

Gene Rodenberry

Carl Sagan

Jaques Cousteu

Thomas Jefferson

Isaac Asimov

Just to name a few.

[A Horse With No Name]

Duntov...not so sure about that one.

Personally, I'd give his name to a dog...oh wait...

But seriously, yes.

Glad we agree on Sagan.

I also Admire Jacques Cousteau

[Camino LS6]

Duntov...not so sure about that one.

Personally, I'd give his name to a dog...oh wait...

But seriously, yes.

Glad we agree on Sagan.

I also Admire Jacques Cousteau

On Sagan, I must have missed him when I read your list as I tried not to duplicate anyone else's choices. But the guy had a huge impact on me through "Cosmos".

If I hadn't been beaten to it, George Carlin would have been on my list.

Thanks for the spelling correction on Cousteau - I don't do French well.

[vonVeezelsnider]

In terms of people living and dead who posses character aspects or did things I could get behind...

Lester B. Pearson

Harry S. Truman

Barry Goldwater

Warren Buffet

George Burns

John Diefenbaker

Howard Hughes

[balthazar]

I find I have valued certain qualities / achievements moreso of individuals I have met personally, tho I can cite 3 well-known auto men readily :

Henry Martyn Leland

Henry Ford

Preston Tucker

[Nick]

Sir Richard Branson

Larry Ellison

Warren Buffet

Sam Walton

[Robert Hall]

Hmmm....not necessarily heroes, but definitely individuals I've admired for their accomplishments in science, the computer industry, aviation, the auto industry, auto journalism, racing, sports, music, etc...

Richard Feynman

Carl Sagan

Richard Dawkins

Dennis Ritchie

Ken Thompson

Vint Cerf

Linus Torvalds

Steve Jobs

Bill Joy

James Gosling

Chuck Yeager

Kelly Johnson

Frank Lloyd Wright

Harley Earl

Bill Mitchell (the GM one)

Lee Iacocca

David E Davis

Pete Egan

LJK Setwright

Brock Yates

Murray Walker

Ayrton Senna

Alain Prost

Nigel Mansell

Rubens Barrachello

Mario Andretti

Dan Gurney

Jack Brabbham

Carroll Shelby

Sterling Moss

Colin Chapman

Ron Dennis

Frank Williams

Lance Armstrong

Bruce Springsteen

Pete Townsend

Roger Waters

David Gilmour

Eric Clapton

David 'The Edge' Evans

Scott Adams

Edited October 21, 2010 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[CARBIZ]

No list would be complete without

Micheline Maynard

Steve Rattner

Kirk Kerkorian

Roger Smith

Emma Lowenstramm (perhaps a little too obscure for most)

Arthur Chamberlain

Tammy Fay Baker...

... wait a minute, sorry, I think I misread the list.

Never mind....

[Blake Noble]

I don't consider any of these people "heroes", but they have provided a lot of inspiration. I'll put them into groups:

Music

• Brian Eno
  
• Adrian Belew
  
• David Gilmour
  
• Trent Reznor
  
• Robert Fripp
  
• Leo Fender
  
• Robert Moog
  

Art/Design:

• David Carson
  
• Francis Bacon
  
• Frank Lloyd Wright
  
• Bill Mitchell
  
• Larry Shinoda
  
• Wayne Cherry
  
• Richard A. Teague
  

If it weren't for automotive design, specifically the designs made under the tenure of the three GM designers mentioned, I would have never been an enthusiast.

When it comes to the field of writing/journalism, it's hard to name specific examples. I will give very honorable mentions to George Orwell and John Phillips.

[A Horse With No Name]

In terms of people living and dead who posses character aspects or did things I could get behind...

Lester B. Pearson

Harry S. Truman

Barry Goldwater

Warren Buffet

George Burns

John Diefenbaker

Howard Hughes

I would really look up to Harry S Truman as well. Such a simple, honest guy throw up at one of the turning points in history. I some times picture him sitting in the oval office, thinking about dropping the bomb on Japan, or rebuilding Europe....

Barry Goldwater I like as well, as he was much more of a rational libertairan type than like a lot of todays conservatives.

Nigel Mansell

I think of all of the drivers Cubical mentioned, I respect Nigel the most...

[Drew Dowdell]

People who's work I admire:

Raymond Loewy

Frank Lloyd Wright

Virgil Exner

Harley Earl

[Z-06]

Sherlock Holmes

[Drew Dowdell]

Hercule Poirot

Jedediah Bartlet

[RjION]

My Son the US MARINE is my hero. Semper-Fi

[FUTURE_OF_GM]

As far as people already mentioned; George Carlin, for sure! I am honored to share the same birthday as him. Henry Ford and Harley Earl for obvious reasons. I also think Trent Reznor is a good pick, eventhough I'm not a big fan of his music.

Me personally:

My parents and grandparents for too many reasons to list.

Anyone who has ever served this country in the military. When I was in JROTC way back in high school my SAI and AI both served in Vietnam. They had a profound impact on who I am.

Dale Earnhardt Sr. because of his tenacity and will to NEVER abandon his dream.

James Hetfield because of his intensity and what he represents.

Johnny Cash because he understood the real difference between good and bad

Andrew Jackson because he was absolutely fearless.

Evel Knevel because he was just bad ass.

Bob Lutz for obvious reasons.

That's what I have 'off the top of my head'

[daves87rs]

Mant people.

[A Horse With No Name]

People who's work I admire:

Raymond Loewy

Frank Lloyd Wright

Virgil Exner

Harley Earl

Raymond Lowey yes...Harley Earl yes...

There is a great book called Lost Wright...I think I was telling you about this one of the times we met in person. All of his stuff that got torn down, including a hotel in tokyo.

One more reason not to buy Japanese!

My Son the US MARINE is my hero. Semper-Fi

Semper Fi!

[regfootball]

watch a woman cringe in pain and get sliced open to have your child. and do it again, and not complain. ever.

hero.

a lot of singers or celebrities at one time i may have thought of as a hero in some way, but too many of them now are in the opposite direction and are just self destructive. that and egotism overshadows any good things they do IMO sometimes. Any of us with star income and time on our hands would probably allow ourselves to be just as generous or 'caring about causes'...especially if it keeps our marketability and subsequent income up.

i still think police, fire, military are heros. they accept the danger that is there and yet choose to do it. not all are worthy of this sentiment, but many do feel that sense of sacrifice and duty.

I've known of people who have helped out in crisis and emergencies that put themselves in danger. that is hero, too.

sometimes, just not bailing on the ones you love makes you a hero. I'd like to think hero status requires more, but to so many who have been failed by people they depended on trusted, just to have the confidence to look up to or depend on those people and trust them sort of makes them heros.