Pendergast-Schindler and Wallenberg - likely heroes?

Both Oskar Schindler and Raoul Wallenberg could be characterized as unlikely heroes, but they may have had personality characteristics in common that are highly correlated with heroism. Oskar Schindler was widely recognized as an adulterer and opportunist prior to his WWII heroism, but perhaps his disregard for social and moral convention is precisely why he was able to do what so many people were afraid to. Thinking about Schindler risking his life or at least his freedom in every Nazi-defying decision he made, an image comes to mind of Schindler walking on a high-wire without a net and eyes closed, others standing on the ground looking up with mouths agape, wondering how on earth he could (or why he would) do such a dangerous thing. This image makes me think of Schindler as an “inspired” man, as visionaries are often described as being, whose actions defy conventional logic and reason and are guided, instead, by something unseen and infinitely wise. I relate this “inspired” quality with the qualities of intuition and instinct. Someone who is instinctive or intuitive also relies largely on his/her own inner knowing and awareness. When I think of Schindler as instinctive, I think of him kissing the Jewish girl at his birthday celebration; as intuitive, I think about his ability to ease Helen’s pain, as well as his ability to influence Goeth; inspired, I think about his long nights with Stern preparing the list, not worried about how much money it would cost him.

Raoul Wallenberg seems to have been driven by similar feeling-based qualities, more likely to make decisions based on his own gut instincts and intuition than from a conventional sense of reason or logic. In a scene from the film, the Rabbi is asking Wallenberg tough questions regarding his capacity to take on the mission. The Rabbi tells Wallenberg that whether Wallenberg goes on the mission is not his decision to make. In response to this, Wallenberg says in a characteristically intuitive and visionary way, “It should be [your decision], but it isn’t. The decision is mine and I can’t explain why.” The fact that Wallenberg can’t explain why he feels called to this mission and trusts this calling implicitly, indicates a connection to and faith in the spiritual and/or intuitive plane of knowing; this kind of knowing does not derive its authority from the external plane or requires affirmation from others. Also, to the Rabbi’s question as to whether death frightens him, Wallenberg explains: “I am acquainted with death….I have spoken with someone who is dead every day since I was 5 years old.” The fact that Wallenberg professes to speak with the dead is also characteristic of someone who is “inspired” and/or intuitive, and like his previous comment, implies a very strong faith in an inner knowing and wisdom that is not dependent on others’ approval or majority consensus.