Hmmm, heroism edition

It was at first difficult for me to get by the style in which "The Hard Way" was written...fragmented sparsity can suit certain compositions, of course, but here I found it initially distracting. Once I managed to get past my writing-oriented discomfort, I did find quite a bit of worth in this piece.
The part that struck me most true was the section concerning false conceptions of heroism. I believe that I mentioned in my last post my issues with the concepts of self-deprivation and ascetic martyrdom. That to me is not a spiritual pursuit, and I was glad to see it articulated in another person's slant of thinking. The layers we pile upon ourselves in our quest for clarity only serve to enhance the haze of scattered identity. That's a convoluted way of saying that we mask ourselves in the guise of ideals and vague notions far too often. Indeed, as stated in the piece, you do not need to go against your grain to discover your own truth.
I did take issue with the emphasis on deliberate exposure, although I did not completely disagree. My divergence with that way of thinking is that I believe every raw edge needs to be tempered with comfort now and again, or you will be worn hollow by the constant baring of your self. It is good to push yourself, or acknowledge that you are being pushed- bare your skin to the elements and do not shrink from the pain of it. But suffering will occur often throughout your life, and it is not necessary to seek it. I know that is rather too broad an interpretation of this particular text, but I wish to address that pesky asceticism thing again, I guess. It seems to keep working its way back.
I could never live by a doctrine, tenet, and I could never let another's thought define me. But I can draw what can help me sustain my spiritual equilibrium from the thoughts of so many who have thought for years beyond my own. From this text I draw the personally resonant notion of the dishonorable default to false heroism.
Heroism is rarely deliberate. Unless you rise to meet what assails you unexpectedly, you are just preparing lines for a scene you know to expect. Heroism is an active concept. You cannot contemplate being heroic. I don't think you can even classify yourself as such. Heroism is a quality assigned by those who have observed how you carry yourself in this world. Therefore, you cannot want to be heroic and ever hope to attain it. The flow, the basic foundation of Tao will not permit any thought on the matter.