You might expect that the natural respect we hold for heroes would reduce support for the pay cuts – but this was not the case. Thanks, apparently, to the associations with selfless altruism, the participants tended to show less opposition to the policy when they saw the picture of the teachers in the capes. “It’s brutally ironic,” says Stanley. “Because of our veneration, we’re more tolerant of them being treated badly.”

Empty words

Stanley’s findings chime with the opinons of Nicki Credland, a reader in critical care nursing at the University of Hull, UK. She argues that the hero narrative can undermine the skill and education of her colleagues. “[It suggests] we do our jobs because we have a calling and an innate desire to help…