Why I Hate Superhero Movies
Originally published on chrisdanilo.com
In some eerily similar universe, in a land far far away, there is a strange process that turns mild-mannered citizens into superheroes.
It basically works by chance.
One must be endowed, either by the cosmos or by some greater power, with the ability to help people.
And if no radioactive bug exists, our only hope of being more than just ordinary is falling into a vat of toxic waste.
I don’t know about you, but I have no idea where to find a good, deep vat of toxic waste.
The allure of superhero movies is typically the transformation from the reluctant, unsuspecting, everyday human to the genetically superior (and now morally-obligated) superhuman.
Only after we are endowed with this unnatural power can we begin our journey to some fictional city underground or some distant, corrupted planet.
Since we, unfortunately, live here on Earth, this proposes a small dilemma.
No vats. No radioactive bugs. No cosmic alignment. No alien technology. No Dragon Balls. No Infinity Gauntlet.
Bummer.
So, now what?
You have to make a choice.
Most people stay stuck and thus choose the belief that “I don’t have the ability to change myself, nor can I acquire the ability to change myself. Power and ability are unlearned traits that are solely endowed by fate.”
Read that last paragraph again.
Keywords are: “ability,” “unlearned traits,” and “fate.”
But, not you, right?
Ask yourself something . . .
Do you feel strong when you watch a superhero movie?
Most people do and that’s the point. We feel empowered to change the world. You have to choose if you believe that you can change yourself or if you believe you can’t.
The difference between taking action and just feeling like you should is the difference between empowerment and inspiration. It’s not enough to just be inspired — we must be empowered if we wish to follow through.
Most people choose to be a superhero without knowing it.
I don’t mean that people slap underpants on top of their Levi’s. Although, I may or may not have a picture of a 6-year-old me with Ninja Turtle tightie-whities on the outside of my pants while wearing a makeshift cape from a bandana. Anyway, what I mean is that people exhibit patterns of “superhero thinking.”
“Superhero thinking” is when you act in a way that is incongruent with your capabilities. It’s when you adopt the mindset of a superhero without actually having all of the superior and requisite genetic traits.
For instance, one of the hallmark problems with “superhero thinking” is when we get charged up and attack the problem by ourselves. We suffer for the greater good, make sacrifices, and spin our wheels harder than we ever thought we could.
We charge the beach alone and don’t see that we’re already overrun. Charging a beach alone like a superhero isn’t valiant or noble.
It’s stupid.
Real-life, real-world problems cannot be solved by an individual. Real-life, real-world problems are solved by teams with good systems.
Sounds really sexy, right?
“Superhero thinking” is sexy! It’s romanticized! Superheroes can do it all! We want the gadgets, the moral compass, and the abs — oh, good lord, the abs.
And we want it all before we even start.
Translate that to our everyday lives?
We want the diet pill, the salary raise at work, and mountain top mansion all before we change ourselves. I’m sorry, but we’re not superheroes. We’re humans.
It’s up to us to do all the changing.
The superpower of the human brain is that its plastic.
That means that when you practice something a lot, it gets easier.
Your brain isn’t a muscle. Your muscles are more like your brain.
The first time you play the piano, it’s terrible. You don’t have the dexterity you need which makes the process of learning frustrating and unenjoyable.
You sound terrible and it’s not fun because you are terrible.
After two years of performing the same motions over and over, your brain has rewired to make it easier. You can now do something you couldn’t do before and guess what?
Now it’s fun.
You are the same person. Same name. Same face. Same DNA. You just earned a new ability which can serve you in a new way. Maybe it’s a creative outlet that helps you regulate emotions. Maybe it’s a source of income. Maybe it’s a way to connect with your friends.
Some abilities are easier to learn than others.
For example, if you wanted to learn how to “walk the dog” with a yo-yo, it’s probably only going to take you 45 minutes.
If you want to integrate evidence-based learning practices in public school districts across the country, it’s probably going to take you your whole career.
So, what happens when we raise our children to believe in superheroes?
Look, I’m not saying that superhero movies aren’t fun to watch.
They’re fantasy. It’s fun to pretend we could be like that caped silhouette on the screen.
And that’s exactly my point. It’s make-believe.
Not just the radioactive, toxic waste part — the whole mindset.
And that’s the dangerous part. When we use “superhero thinking” to solve real-world problems, bad things happen.
Here are some more examples of “Superhero thinking:”
- Sometimes you have to stay late at work and make sure the job gets done. The keyword here is “sometimes.” If you are staying late more days than not, you are probably using “superhero thinking.” You are probably also neglecting other important parts of your life. You are probably enduring some long-term suffering in your health or personal life.
- If your work often requires you to make personal sacrifices to get it done, like missing your kid’s baseball season, you are probably using “superhero thinking.” Be realistic: your kid will recover from the game you missed. But missing most of the season tells your kid exactly what your priority is. That’s your call.
- If your mindset is that no one is better than you at this one skill, so you shouldn’t let anyone else have the final say about that part of the project, you are probably using “superhero thinking.” This is more about ego than what’s best for your project. You’re not the best at everything — only Superman is and he still has his weaknesses.
- When a teammate breaks something and you run in to take the task away and solve it yourself, you are probably using “superhero thinking.” You’re swooping in to save them from themselves! You’ve empowered no one and taught your teammate that you believe they are incapable of learning.
- If your child continues to struggle in school and you continue to sign absence notes and do their homework for them, you are probably using “superhero thinking.” You’re swooping in and saving the day — today. Tomorrow, that kid is going to be very unprepared.
I sort of tricked you.
I wrote this post about superheroes, but it’s really about pragmatism, leadership, and the important commitment we owe ourselves to self-improvement.
It’s also about media consumption. You are what you eat, read, and watch.
We are each from different walks of life with different predispositions, demons, and access to resources.
Regardless of where you are, today:
- You alone are responsible for deciding what’s fantasy and what’s real.
- You alone are responsible for developing yourself.
- You alone are responsible for building teams and systems that actually help people, long after you’re gone.
Consider THIS your origin story.
There’s no vat. There’s no secret government lab. There’s no mutating serum.
You are faced with the choice of whether or not to develop your own superpowers with the skills and abilities you have today.
You are faced with the choice of whether or not to decide your own destiny.
You are faced with the choice of whether or not to take responsibility for helping people other than yourself.
We live in a distressed world with real people in it. There are real lives at stake. We need real, sustainable, evidence-based solutions, not the solutions we wished would solve these problems.
You must choose to be the best version of yourself.
You must choose to help others become the best versions of themselves.
You must choose to protect yourself from “superhero thinking.”
I know you can do it.
We’re all counting on you.
