7 Valuable Lessons We Can Learn From Superheroes
Any reader of comic books knows that superheroes represent something bigger than ourselves, people (or beings) that live to right wrongs in a society that doesn't accept their superpowers. Huffington Post has a nice slide show about the seven most valuable lessons you can learn from superheroes.
No. 1 - We all have alter egos. Like Superman, Batman, or Spider-Man "we too have alter egos—different sides of ourselves that come out, depending on the context and the people we are with. We may think, feel, and act differently when we’re with our parents than when we’re with our children," our friends, professors, or bosses.
No. 2 - The Costume Counts."You don’t have to wear tights or a cape to understand that what you wear affects other people: Whether you’re wearing a unitard, a police officer’s uniform, grungy jeans and a Jack Daniels T-shirt, or a three-piece suit, your 'costume' counts. Based on how you appear, [people] make inferences about you (which may or may not be true). And those inferences will affect how they treat you, which will in turn, consciously or unconsciously, affect you." This is so true, especially in your working life. Oh, and you goths don't scare me anymore, but change your "costume" for your job interview.
No. 3 - We are all different. "Every superhero is unique. The same is true of us. We share qualities with others—our ethnicity, religion, and gender, as well as psychological qualities such as our temperament, interests, motivations, 'issues'.” It's that difference that makes it fun to meet new people.
No. 4 - Being different can give you power. "Superheroes teach us to use our 'differentness'—to treat it as a gift and to put that gift to good use by serving others." You may have to start with yourself, yes this is where I say stay in school and become the first to graduate college in your family!
No. 5 - Adversity can be overcome. "Adversity induces us to challenge our beliefs about ourselves and the world, and then to develop new meaning, fulfillment, and connections to others as a result." Having it easy isn't always the best way--trust me.
No. 6 - No matter what your abilities life can be frustrating. "For many heroes—particularly the human superheroes such as Batman, Iron Man, Green Arrow, and Buffy (yes, she’s a superhero in my book)—the ability to persevere in the face of frustration is a superpower. One we can all try to cultivate." Again, having it easy isn't always the best way.
No. 7 - Running toward danger. Overcoming your fears. "When we’re afraid of something, we try to avoid it, but in doing so, our lives may become narrowed and, in some cases, too narrowed. When this happens, we can take a page from a superhero book, take a deep breath, learn some new skills, and face our fears." You may not feel like a superhero right now, but think of yourself as a super student and you're half-way there.
How can you become a superhero? What makes you a super student? Which of these lessons would you like to apply to your academic life? What excellent mistake have you made when running toward danger?
I found this article very interesting because it helped me realize that the comic books that I read as a kid served a purpose other than to entertain. I know I can never scale buildings like Spider man or soar through the skies on an invisible plane like Wonder Woman but I can face my fears and embrace my differences. In my opinion everyone should read this post because when growing up we sometimes forget all the things that super heroes taught us.
ReplyDeleteI think that ““7 Valuable Lessons We Can Learn From Superheroes” is interesting because it points out that all of us have superhero qualities that we may overlook. For example, we recognize that costumes are designed to have disguises for superheroes and superheroes express themselves through their clothing. We also have these attributes when we wear certain outfits. Listing all the 7 valuable things that superheroes have gives us a better understanding of them and we, as readers, can see that these superheroes are inspired by us.
ReplyDeleteIn order for me to become a superhero, I must let go of my fear of public speaking and express myself more. Whenever I have to do a speech or presentation in one of my classes, I always get nervous and ultimately do a terrible job. What makes me a super student is my ability to excel academically, especially in the field of math and science. I would apply lesson 6 to my academic life because whenever I do not get a grade that I would like, I get frustrated and not work as hard. If I do not let one test score or assignment affect me, I think it will make me a better student. A mistake I made when I ran toward danger is not succeeding. I attempted to get to know someone by talking to them, but in the end it seemed that they were not interested. It took me a lot of courage to talk to the person, but it was all for nothing.
ReplyDeleteThis post has made me realize the similarities between humans and super heroes. They are truly our role models. We all do judge each others "costumes" or what we are wearing that day. We all have our on power or talents that we utilize in our everyday lives and career choices. I agree that life is frustrating at times, but if it was always perfect it would be very boring and we wouldn't learn from our mistakes. I also strongly agree with overcoming ones fears. If we don't try new things, how will we know what we are good or bad at? You have to think what could be the worst that could happen? I can become a superhero by applying my talents everyday, and challenging my fears. I am a super student because I go above and beyond what is asked of me, and do the best that I can.
ReplyDeleteAll these are good attributes to being a good super hero, but they can also play a role in being a villain. For example, when I read alter ego, a person can also have a gruesome and mean alter ego. Being different may get yourself picked on and make you afraid, so to overcome this you become an guarded, mran, evil person. Different people propogate different view points, just like I did with this article.
ReplyDeleteAll of these lessons are very relatable. It may seem odd comparing a hero facing off against a great evil to a student tackling a paper but it is true. I really like the notion that everyone is different and that you can use those differences like a gift. For example using a gift of being good with numbers to help guide you into your field of work. You don't have to save the world to make a difference. Just have a positive outlook and show kindness toward others. No matter what you do, you're life will inevitably touch someone else's, why not for the better.
ReplyDeleteComparing ourselves to a superhero from our childhood may seem odd but somehow it is beneficial to our daily and even to our life struggles. The 7 types of superpowers that our made up heroes portray, are simply 7 valuable lessons we should all incorporate into our lives. After reviewing this article it doesn't seem difficult to become a superhero. When it comes to academics any skill can be valuable and used to make a difference. For example, the ability to help others might be the nudge you need to decide what career path to take, like therapy or counseling. It doesn't necessarily take "powers" to become a hero, and this article simply proves that. When it comes to running from danger, it's natural for us to try and avoid the situation and what I have learned from running is that it comes back and haunts you later and it hits you even worse. Therefore, it is better to learn some skills, relax, and face the fear, like a superhero would.
ReplyDeleteThere seems to be an interesting connection between these seven real life lessons and super heroes. These lessons can be beneficial for our everyday lifestyles. Also it reveals that super heroes, even though they possess an incredible power, they seem to have faults and weaknesses just like us. As humans we have important powers of our own, it is the super strength within. It is important to realize that everyone goes through some sort of struggle or obstacle to arrive to an accomplishment. The number that speaks the loudest out of the list is Number Six. Number Six explains how people must overcome to accomplish. Also going through a challenge can make a person stronger. Alike, to Batman, Iron Man, Superman, etc. they have to fight a challenging battle and win. Pertaining to real-life, we must use our inner strength as fuel to drive us to over come frustrating situations.
ReplyDeleteThere seems to be an interesting connection between these seven real life lessons and super heroes. These lessons can be beneficial for our everyday lifestyles. Also it reveals that super heroes, even though they possess an incredible power, they seem to have faults and weaknesses just like us. As humans we have important powers of our own, it is the super strength within. It is important to realize that everyone goes through some sort of struggle or obstacle to arrive to an accomplishment. The number that speaks the loudest out of the list is Number Six. Number Six explains how people must overcome to accomplish. Also going through a challenge can make a person stronger. Alike, to Batman, Iron Man, Superman, etc. they have to fight a challenging battle and win. Pertaining to real-life, we must use our inner strength as fuel to drive us to over come frustrating situations.
ReplyDeleteI can really relate to the first lesson “we all have alter egos”. I am naturally shy in social situations, so an alter ego of mine is social side. For example, on orientation day I put a brave face on and expressed my social side to make new friends. I thought I’d have more fun if I acted more social than being my usual shy self. I was proven right. The more I opened up the easier it was. Having an alter ego worked so well I still talk to the people I met at orientation to this day. One of them is even a close friend of mine now.
ReplyDeleteAs for the other lessons, I can’t say I relate as much, but I do think they are very true. I do think people are perceived differently based on the way they dress. If one wears exercise close they are probably athletic. I don’t think that how you dress just effects how you are perceived, but I think it also dictates the way you act. If you wear lazy clothes to school you’ll probably be less determined to do your class work.
Omg, this is so true!!! I think I think I am going to make some kind of super hero name for myself because it makes sense like as a student we are superheros we are juggling so many different lives now. Like myself I have to act different around my family and friends then my professor I have other obligations at home than I have at school and plus it just feels like everyone is counting on me like so much is on my shoulders. So in a lot of ways I really feel like I am a superhero, a super daughter, a super grand daughter, a super sister and a super friend because I have to juggle with being all and on top of still being myself when making time for myself and being a super student.
ReplyDeleteI have never thought of myself as a superhero before but I have always looked up to my mom as a superhero. Now that I have thought about I am a superhero myself. I really like number 4, "Being different can give you power". I find myself not "fitting in" but I feel like that is what people like about me the most. I am truly unique as is all the other people that I surround myself with. This helps me become a super student because I have new and fresh ideas that keep me occupied and it comes through most of my work.
ReplyDeleteI can see everyday people doing super or heroic things everyday. My parents are my heroes because they watch over me every single day even if I do not need them to. If we count how we act in front of people like your parents or friends as an alter ego then I have plenty. When I am at home it is like I just stepped into the Philippines. When I am with my friends its a whole different environment. When my mom buys me clothes they are designs that a typical fob outfit. When I buy clothes my style is casual which, is Americanized. Everyone goes through rough patches in life you just have to fight until you pass it by. I do not know about running into danger though. If someone ran at my with a weapon and I did not have one, I am running my butt off.
ReplyDeleteI think it's interesting on how we view superheroes as great beings that have abnormal strengths yet we don't think much about the people in real life who do things that are worthy of being noted heroic. This article brings light upon those who do heroic things by including superheroes and comparing the two. While we don't see people wearing capes and saving others from disasters, there are people who do heroic things on a day to day basis, such as firefighters and police officers, who work their best to keep the general public safe. In some ways, I see myself relating to the points the article has made, like the alter egos since the way I act differs between my parents and my friends. Also, I agree with the statement that "We are all different" because everyone has their own stories to tell and nothing will ever be exactly alike.
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