We think of heroes as people with extraordinary powers or fearless hearts. But the truth is, most heroes don’t start out as anything special. They’re shaped—by life, by pain, by choices, and by the world around them.
Society plays a big role in who becomes a hero and who becomes something else entirely. Some people grow up in harsh environments. They face loss, trauma, and deep emotional wounds. How they respond to those struggles can lead them in very different directions.
Take Batman and the Joker, for example. Both experienced deep trauma. Bruce Wayne lost his parents as a child, a tragedy that could’ve destroyed him. Instead, he chose to fight back—not with revenge, but with purpose. He trained his body and mind to protect others from the kind of pain he felt. He became a symbol of justice in a dark world.
On the other hand, the Joker is also a product of trauma. But his pain turned inward, then outward, becoming chaos. He didn’t find support or healing. He became consumed by the world’s cruelty and turned into a mirror of its madness. The difference between Batman and Joker wasn’t just what happened to them—it was how they responded, and who they truly were inside.
Heroes aren’t perfect. They’re not born wearing capes or armor. They’re people who go through something hard—sometimes terrible—and still choose to rise above it. Sometimes they have help. A mentor, a friend, a moment of clarity. Like batman had Alfred. But often, it comes down to what’s inside them: their values, their strength, their heart.
This idea—that heroes are shaped, not born—is at the heart of Arel Herbrand’s novel, Twice the Journey. In it, we meet characters who face danger, darkness, and inner conflict. These aren’t perfect people. They’re young, flawed, and struggling. But as their paths unfold, we see them transform—not because they have to, but because they choose to.
As Herbrand writes, “Rivers don’t really meander—they only appear to. The path is always there, waiting.” The same is true for heroes. The path is never easy, but it’s always there.
Read Twice the Journey and discover a coming-of-age story where heroes are forged by fire, not fate.