The concept of the lone hero is deeply embedded in the American psyche. We love to tell stories about the dedicated visionary who persisted when everyone else thought he was crazy. Invariably, the visionary’s sports team wins the national title, his invention changes the face of modern society, or he single-handedly saves the whole city/country/world from devastation.
The lone hero appeals to us at a pretty basic level. We’ve all been misunderstood. Many (dare I say all?) of us have dreams that are simply too big to achieve. There aren’t too many who would spurn the chance for success. So we love hearing about the lone hero because we can’t help think, “What if?”
The truth is, it’s really hard to be such a loner. Even Batman had Alfred.
The trick is to show up again and again until someone notices what you’re doing, then give them something to do.
You don’t want fans who stand there and nod their heads in agreement. Once you’ve gotten someone to start helping, you’ve doubled your reach.
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