I’m watching the television series “24”. The main character, Jack Bauer, saves the world every episode. He always puts his life on the line to save thousands of others. He’s the hero.

Jack consistently puts himself in situations where he'll likely die. He says things like “I’m the only one who can do this,” “No, Chloe, we don’t have a lot of time, I will do this,” and “damnit.”

If Jack’s effectiveness is the number of times he saves the day, he’s 10/10 (so far). However, if you factor in the cost of broken relationships, living isolated, and unhealthy escapism — I don’t know.

The hero isn’t always the hero.