[hkmurakami]

> Aaron Swartz is what I wish I was.

I personally interpreted this statement in abstract terms, rather than in concrete terms: to be a builder, to have the courage to voice our beliefs, and to put our beliefs into action.

These concepts are abstracted high enough from "the actual Aaron Swartz" that they are just general positive traits. Striving to embody these traits (rather than trying to mirror Aaron Swartz, for instance) is in my opinion, health (to a limit, of course).

In that sense, "Aaron Swartz" was a personification of these abstract virtues that perhaps many of us wish we could project more strongly in our own lives.

[GHFigs]

Abstracting virtues from the person you're ascribing them to is a lot like religion. Opinions will differ on whether that's a bad thing or not, but it may be useful for many to be mindful of the difference between eulogy and hagiography.