Hero?

A conversation that got started in class that really sparked my interest was is a true altruist a hero? Is this true in every situation that we encounter? Well lets start with basic facts, like, what is a hero? A hero is someone who either saves the day, like a super hero, or someone who puts themselves in danger to save someone else, like running across a busy interstate to save an infant.Both of these two descriptions show that ONE person is doing something for another PERSON. Both of these situations put the potential "hero" at risk of being hurt or even worse, death. But could a "hero" also just be a normal person walking down the street and helps an old lady cross the street? This is a valid question because he isn't actually gaining something from the situation but he is potentially saving that old women's day. He could also be putting himself at rick because the street could be a busy interstate. In this situation, I would think that this person would be a hero to that little old women but the whole world may not think that because it wasn't this daring act. Once again, I think that it all depends on who is perceiving the situation at hand.