BuffaloBillsSD:
Two of my favorite books are by Joseph Campbell, The Power of Myth and The Hero With a Thousand Faces.
In them he discusses what compels the hero to act in a time of great need. Wherein the person who isn't a hero has their focus on self-interest/survival. Talking about the hero Campbell says:
"At such moments you realize that you and the other are, infact, one. It's a big realization. Survival is the second law of life. The first is that we are all one".
Thank you for choosing the hero path.