Nikola Tesla

“The influence of superheroes on our culture is undeniable. Just their names alone...bring with them an instant image of who they are and what they stand for” (Hogue 1). Heroism has had a genuine impact on the society’s definitions and society itself craves heroes to resemble their ideals, but more importantly than just the imaginary heroes Hogue references, are the living and dead heroes who walked or still walk on the soil of Earth. Humanitarian movements and heroic acts have touched the planet because of true heroes. Based on the grand accomplishments of many individuals, any person willing to put in the effort to accomplish a goal and become a memorable hero will most likely be successful because true heroes are able to truly have an impact without the need of chance or accidents. A hero’s important contribution may be something small or brief, but with enough relevance, a small act may have the equivalent impact of an everlasting achievement. A hero’s grit and effort mainly shines throughout his or hers work and shows that heroes do not easily achieve accomplishments for the sole purpose of social popularity, but because they truly care about what they are doing and the people that they are influencing. Their absence of self-indulgence leads a hero to believe that what they are doing is for the benefit of all, not just themselves. A true hero needs to embed an advance in the society, whether it be a figurative or literal effect. Utilizing gifted tools or hard work rather than setting them aside to rot uselessly defines what a hero is. Having a meaningful effect, that although can be small, sheds a hero’s meaning. But a defining characteristic of a real hero is the noticeable perseverance that a hero holds for achieving their goal for the purpose of having impactful influence on society.

A portrait picture of Nikola Teslahttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/extraordinary-life-nikola-tesla-180967758/Someone who clearly mirrors these qualities is Nikola Tesla. The kickoff of his miraculous life started off on July 9th, 1856, where he became the son of a clergyman and an illiterate mother. Although illiterate, his mother had profound inventive skills and created devices to help around the household, and appreciating the inventive field, Tesla quickly followed in her footsteps. He decided to take action in the scientific and mathematical fields which is where he acquired his love for electricity. This is when he took his first electrical job as an electrical engineer and it was also the time where he began to envision many inventions. With tension in Europe, he embarked on an adventure into the New World, hoping to have a successful fresh start. Nothing went as smooth as he had wanted it to be in the American industry due to the greedy competition, scammers, and offensive operations against his works, but in the end, he died in January 7, 1943, being one of the greatest, if not the greatest scientist. In order to be a genuine hero, one must pertain intelligence and perseverance. However, being smart is not the full package in this case, the main factor of being wise is utilizing one’s intellect to positively affect the world instead of being fruitless with one’s ability to have impact. Having intelligence alone does not suffice without the idea that one must take advantage of his intelligence to create a stunning result. Perseverance sets up a hero for his course because it lets him work over any obstacles in his path in order to achieve their goals for not just them, but for all people. Not only did Nikola Tesla utilize his intelligence to invent various electrical machines and alternating current to revolutionize the planet, but he also possessed nonstop perseverance to achieve his goals and advance technology to help the society.

Tesla in his electrical lab performing experiments with probeshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/extraordinary-life-nikola-tesla-180967758/By putting his extensive intellect into creating highly advanced inventions, Tesla’s discoveries aided the nation which shows that he is heroic. In the biography from the World of Physics, 2006 about Nikola Tesla, he is illustrated as a bright person and a man of many recognizable accomplishments: "The first person to prove and perfect the efficient use of alternating-current electricity, Nikola Tesla saw his polyphase system become the standard for power transmission throughout the world. He also pioneered research in such areas as artificial lighting, high-frequency and high-tension currents...and other inventions that were to become integral elements in modern technology" (“Nikola Tesla” World of Physics).The source portrays Nikola Tesla’s brilliance through his endless patents, great achievements in many diverse subjects, which proves Tesla to be of high intellect. However he is also portrayed as a person who changed the world with his inventions through his lighting, which lit up the planet, and his standard electricity that powered the planet in various sections such as lighting, home appliances, and industry machinery. His contributions to such advanced and complex technologies such as power transmission, lighting, and electrical currents show not only that Tesla was just a smart person, but a smart person who put his gifted thinking into revolutionizing the planet, proving him to be heroic. He applied his profound understanding of electricity to create genius inventions which were incorporated into “modern technology” which shows that his beneficial works progressed the nation. The quote mentions that “Nikola Tesla saw his polyphase system become the standard for power transmission.” which shows how his works and inventions became the definitive standard for the entire world. His main specialties, alternating current and high-frequency currents, drive most of the technology in modern day and are crucial to humans for survival, which expresses the extra step he took to make a positive change with his ideas and his brain power. In addition, Tesla is depicted as an ingenious man with an incomparable feat that set unbelievable standards by the Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology: "The Tesla system made it possible to supply electricity economically over distances of hundreds of miles, instead of short distances of the Edison direct current powerhouses. Tesla’s demonstrations made a great impression on another inventor, George Westinghouse of the Westinghouse Electric Company of Pittsburg" (Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology).Tesla’s capability of supplying steady electricity in an era where electricity was still a meager concept over long distances clearly proves that Tesla’s intellectual strength was apparent and that his attainment was miraculous. He had taken a step further from just his invention, “AC current”, to innovate his technology and bring more complex ideas like long-range electricity transmission into reality, and shows that he is incredibly smart, but also revolutionary. His Tesla system shows that he utilized his intelligence to create a system that could power entire cities and bring forth an electrical era to the world. Likewise, Tesla himself described his observations of Europe in comparison to the New World in his autobiography, My Inventions, the Autobiography of Nikola Tesla. “When I went abroad in 1889 - five years having elapsed since my arrival here - I became convinced that it was more than one hundred years AHEAD of Europe…” (Tesla Ch2). Nikola Tesla explains how much farther the New World was technologically ahead of Europe, mainly due to his inconceivable efforts. Tesla’s ability to have that amazing of an effect in a span of a few years shows that Tesla was mentally superior. But, he also valued his intelligence and put it to use in order to heavily advance his nation far beyond anyone has done. Comprehensively, Tesla is without a doubt a brilliant man, but also a man that makes use of his intelligence to revolutionize the world.

Nikola Tesla's dream probe finally in actionhttp://www.intellectualventures.com/insights/archives/failing-for-success-nikola-tesla/Nikola Tesla’s inability to let any obstructions interfere with the success of his ideas, dreams, or goals proves that he possessed a great amount of grit and should therefore, be perceived as a hero. Once again, World of Physics exhibits Tesla’s call to action in response to a roadblock in the path of his dreams: "Tesla tried to interest the city’s mayor and several of his wealthy colleagues in his design for an alternating-current motor that would eliminate the need for a commutator. In response, the mayor and his friends rewarded Tesla with a few bottles of 1801 St. Estéphe wine but gave no financial support...Tesla decided to try his luck in the United States where there were interesting developments in electrical engineering and presumably greater opportunities for funding. With a reference from the manager of the Edison company in Paris, Tesla secured a position in Thomas Alva Edison’s research laboratory in New York. Tesla embarked for the New World in 1884" (Nikola Tesla World of Physics). The mayor and Tesla’ colleagues clearly declined Tesla’s proposal, but Tesla wouldn’t give up there, and he decided to execute his plans by starting fresh and moving to the United States to carry out his dreams. His action in this situation is significant because moving to America to pursue his ideas rather than simply giving up in the moment shows that Tesla never gave up on his aspirations and always kept on moving forward, no matter what got in the way. The steady dedication he had kept him on the path to achieving great things for the world. In Ronald Bailey’s article, he explains the move Tesla made after one of the worst incidents in his life: "His fierce pride wounded, Tesla set out to make a name for himself. He selected a project that he considered doable, though not particularly challenging. New Jersey businessmen agreed to back his plan to improve the primitive public illumination in the city of Rahway, which used an early system called arc lighting. Tesla succeeded in installing a better system, but his partners cheated him out of patents he had obtained and forced him out of the company. He was once again penniless and now forced into manual labor, including what he considered a most ignoble task: digging ditches to bury the electric lines for Edison’s direct current grid...Early in 1887, Tesla bounced back. With the backing of investors he had impressed with a bit of electrical sleight of hand--making a copper egg stand on end--he established a laboratory in lower Manhattan and set about building a working prototype of the AC motor he had sketched in the sand in Budapest" (Bailey 2). After Tesla was completely swindled of his hard-earned patents and hours of work for his project, he was left broke and nearly jobless. However, with Tesla’s constant perseverance, Tesla slowly dug himself out of working in ditches to a whole new life with his own electrical laboratory. Tesla’s firm persistence towards his goals was the reason he was able to kick start back into a successful life, and without such grit, he would have never developed the planet like it is today. His perseverance plays such a key role because at any given moment of hardship, abandoning his dreams wouldn’t have gotten the world nearly as technologically advanced. As expressed, Tesla was a man of perseverance who had never let any revolutionary ideas or goals slip from his reach.

For these reasons, Nikola Tesla is certainly deserving of the title “hero” due to the great electrical revolution he brought forward using his intellectual mind to create a better planet, and due to his striking persistence, which he held for all of his magnificent goals. By using his theoretical thinking and ideas paired with his intelligent mind, he was able to make incredible inventions and he introduced the most commonly used for of electricity today. His contributions have heavily shaped the 20th and 21st century and his influence is seen in crucial areas like hospitals, transportation, homes, and nearly any public site. Tesla’s perseverant mindset he had for his passions and goals to change the world show how he never let down any of his ideas or hopes down. Nikola Tesla inspires me because he sets a definitive example of what a hero should be. He had intelligence unlike no other, which many people strive to have, but not just having intelligence, actually using his intelligence to make a breakthrough just as Nikola Tesla did. Many people are smart, but not all of them use their intellect to its full potential, like Tesla did, which makes him inspirational to me because he was able to create groundbreaking inventions and have impact on the world. His intelligence not only helped to contribute to his time, but it also heavily contributed to many years later leading up to the modern days. His everlasting achievements that we still see today make him an inspirational figure and truly inspiring to me because he proves to me the power that one person can have to change the world positively. Tesla’s use of brain power to create endless feats inspires me to make use of my education and strive to create or bring about a revolutionary change that will forever impact that world. Tesla Motors, one of the most successful car companies that heavily incorporate electricity in their vehicles, state that Tesla was clearly a strong inspiration for them: “Without Tesla‘s vision and brilliance, our car wouldn't be possible. We're confident that if he were alive today, Nikola Tesla would look over our 100 percent electric car and nod his head with both understanding and approval” (Tesla Motors). Their statement shows that their car would not have existed if it were not for Tesla’s inspiring actions, which shows that Tesla has become the inspiration of many people. His perseverance cannot be dismissed because without perseverance, Tesla would not have gone anywhere. The way that Nikola Tesla persevered through the hardest of obstacles in his life inspires others and I to be like him and to never give up on any of our dreams. His immense dedication that came with his perseverance shows that he cared about what he was doing, and did it for everyone’s sake; this sense of care for his passion inspires the public to care about their treasured passions. As a society, we feel touched by the certain accomplishments of true heroes who have walked or still walk on the planet today. Adam Hogue stated that our heroes have greatly impacted our culture, to the point where most heroes are effortlessly recognized. Heroes like Tesla have had such large contributions to the world that Tesla is internationally and undoubtedly recognized as an electrical pioneer. Through Tesla’s intellect and perseverance, he should inspire people to rise from the midsts of society and become exceptional heroes.

Works Cited

Bailey, Ronald. “The Wizard Who Electrified the World.” HistoryNet, 8 Jan. 2018, www.historynet.com/wizard-electrified-world.htm.

Hogue. “Why Do Americans Love Superheroes So Much?” Mic, Mic Network Inc., 25 Oct. 2015, mic.com/articles/48431/why-do-americans-love-superheroes-so-much.

"Nikola Tesla." Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology, Gale, 2001. Biography in Context

"Nikola Tesla." World of Physics, Gale, 2006. Biography in Context

Tesla, Nikola. My Inventions The Autobiography of Nikola Tesla. Severus Verlag, 2017.

“Why the Name ‘Tesla’?” All Tesla Motors Blogs RSS, web.archive.org/web/20071016044752/https://www.teslamotors.com/learn_more/why_tesla.php.