The Admirable Ryan Conklin

Fans of Ryan Conklin should know that he doesn't ever want to be referred to as a "hero". He uses the definition that would apply to someone that runs into a burning building to save a baby, so that's fair enough. However, the word hero is also commonly used to mean someone who is admired and revered, someone who is looked up to for whatever reason. Unfortunately (and strangely), English doesn't appear to have a good synonym for this connotation. Well, whatever the word that is used, there is a concept that matches the second definition that for many people applies to Ryan. Using a defined model of greatness, the analysis below describes why people are holding Ryan in such high regard, and why to them he is their personal "hero".

Psychologist Frank Farley, Ph.D., of Ryan's Temple University, created what he calls a "5-D" model of greatness. It is a means of explaining why some people are considered heroes, and where in our lives they can be found.

The first "D" of the five Ds is "Determinants", and there are six of these attributes that heroes have many of:

1. Courage and strength
Soldiers like Ryan, who purposely seek a position to engage the enemy, clearly have these attributes. While human nature is to flee from danger, a man like Ryan possess the quality to face it head on, in order to protect those unable to do so themselves. In the process, a little guy like Ryan literally still has to carry the same weight as his bigger comrades. Through determination and strength of character, Ryan always persevered.
2. Honesty
From time to time, in the course of pulling pranks, Ryan did have to fib a little to follow through on the joke, but he always eventually came clean in keeping with his honest nature. In social interactions, Ryan found it better to keep quiet rather than be "fake" and say things that weren't true just because it's expected for such things to be said. With his girlfriend, he is a paragon of uncompromised virtue, who can be trusted without fail.
3. Kind, loving, generous
Ok, do you need to be reminded of the scene in which Ryan was concerned about the effect on his parents of his recall to active duty? How about his puppy dog like affection when he was with Baya Voce? When he was angry at JD Ordonez for the shaving cream prank, and dreamed up severe retaliation, in the end he couldn't, because it's not like him to hurt someone. In his book, An Angel From Hell, Ryan told of many incidents that brought him to tears due to his caring about others. During his second time in Iraq, he showed his generous nature by writing back to everyone who sent regards to him (which he still continues to do through Facebook and elsewhere).
4. Skill, expertise, intelligence
During the run of The Real World Brooklyn, it was a source of increasing amazement to see what all Ryan could do. First he's an author. No, he's an author and a songwriter. No, he's an author, a songwriter, and a film maker. No, he's all those things plus a decorated soldier. Throw in that he's an accomplished historian as well and it becomes jaw dropping. You started to realize that there is something very special about this guy.
5. Risk-taking
Referring again to Ryan's service, he joined the infantry specifically to be in combat, for the greater good. To put yourself in harm's way for the sake of others is a risk many would not take.
6. Objects of affection
All of the above may win our minds, but those things don't necessarily win our hearts. There has to be some other radiant and ethereal quality that makes us smile, that makes our hearts jump in excitement as he enters the room. Ryan has the marvelous sparkle that makes us love him so.

The second "D" stands for depth. A hero is more than a cartoon or a cardboard cutout. For discerning people, in the first episode of Real World Brooklyn there was a tenuous but definite sense that there was something much more to this small town boy than just being the guy who called Katelynn Cusanelli "it". Queerty.com said, “It’s because of Sarah’s curiosity that we get to see that Ryan, who’s Aeropostale cap and cocky grin would normally have us peg him as “The A**hole,” is actually one of the most complex people on the show.” Seeing him stare into the distance at the lights of 9/11 in ep 5 helped many others see that a multitude of things were at work in this unrevealed mind.

The third and fourth "D" are domain and database. They have to do with the field that a person makes his mark, and how the public becomes aware of them. In Ryan's case, these tie to reality television. The importance of reality TV in creating our virtual companions is already explained here -> TV Trick: Real to Real.

The fifth "D" is for distance. We favor people close to us, not those who are distant and inaccessible. It's why people in our own lives can be our personal "hero", without doing anything spectacular - just being good. Television and the internet have brought Ryan's goodness into the lives of his fans, and now we are the better for it.

P.S., I ♥ Ryan Conklin (my h***).