I understand where you may be coming from but I disagree. If you have an economic perspective for the hero, yes, most of the time heroic is dumb (standing up f

I understand where you may be coming from but I disagree. If you have an economic perspective for the hero, yes, most of the time heroic is dumb (standing up for what's right to your own economic detriment, fighting a patent troll in court, risking your life for a stranger, etc). But being heroic is not about economics. It's almost precisely the point. Generally speaking, heroic is not dumb, but almost always requires a lot of risk. We consider people heros or heroines because they take on risk to do the right thing, which is often the thing the masses are unwilling to attempt and/or unable to accomplish. It certainly helps to accomplish, but most people will consider heroic acts those that take on a lot of risk to do the right thing despite the outcome.