Superhero You!
It seems as though superheroes never fall out of favor with children and adults alike. They may look a little different over the years— update their hairstyles, change their uniforms and improve their superpower abilities and technologies, but these characters have withstood the test of time. Not only do they continue to reinvent themselves, they also seem to get increasingly popular, constantly gaining new fans, young and old.
What is our fascination with all these superhero celebrities? Apart from the fact that they have amazing strength, stamina and cognitive abilities, these supernatural beings also have a human element. Many of them either were human beings at some point, or actually are humans who simply transform into their super selves when the need arises. This dual-identity or the dramatic difference between timid Clark Kent and bold Superman, insecure Peter Parker and fearless Spiderman, or orphaned Bruce Wayne and valiant Batman, make these characters that much more alluring. After all, if these meek, rejected and neglected individuals can transform themselves into beings of confidence, courage and valor, then perhaps it awakens hope for the rest of us fallible humans.
As each and every one of us experience our own challenges throughout life (and the more we live, the less likely we are to avoid them!), we have the opportunity to become stronger, more confident, tenacious and resilient. We develop our own superpowers! We may not be able to fly or scale a tall building in a single bound, but we can act in other courageous ways. In fact, in many superhero stories it was the adversity or the painful or traumatic experience which served as the catalyst for those human beings to tap into their own sense of purpose and superhero potential.
These characters undergo a distinct transition between their two identities, which generally impresses us. However, when we hear of people with multiple personalities, it implies an abnormality, a mental illness or someone who unpredictably shifts from one persona to another. This may be accurate in certain situations, but overall we seem to be compelled to categorize people into one camp or another (e.g. democrat/republican, gay/straight, introvert/extrovert, etc.), thereby negating the power of our various and sometimes contrasting qualities.
A multi-dimensional personality can be a great asset. It allows us to diversify the way we relate to the world around us and gives us the opportunity to exercise the different aspects of who we are. We behave one way at work, act another way with our old high school or college friends, and respond completely differently to our children. It is appropriate to adapt our behavior or personality, so to speak, to fit the situation. And in fact, sometimes our life depends on it. Like our superhero examples, we are also capable of shifting from feeling powerless or insecure to experiencing moments of strength and courage.
Of course, even superheroes need to take a break, and they sometimes return to their less demanding, human and vulnerable personas. Yet, toward the end of the superhero’s story or movie, we notice there is a subtle shift in the human characters of Clark, Peter Bruce, etc. Somehow, even in their imperfection they appear more calm, cool, and confident, as though their human-ness has somehow been influenced by the superpowers of their alter egos. What we can learn from these superheroes is that we don’t have to be one or the other. We can be both vulnerable and valiant. In fact, we have the potential to grow both qualities in meaningful ways by being open to both experiences. We are challenged to acknowledge and embrace our different personas, identify ways to transition from one to the other when appropriate, and by allowing ourselves to step into our superhero boots, we have the opportunity to recognize our true strength, courage and resiliency.