Superman: Mental Health Role Model

(Photo by Warner Bros. Pictures)

I had the opportunity to see this summer’s Superman movie for the second time over the weekend.  I really enjoyed it, and I think it has some important messages for everyone, especially anyone dealing with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Learning Disabilities, and other forms of mental illness and injury.

The first these is, no one can do everything themselves.  Not even Superman.

Without spoiling too much, Superman gets physically and psychologically hurt in this story.  The movie opens with him being smashed so hard that he ends up falling back to Earth in Antarctica.  Initially, he believes he needs to take on the monsters and supervillains of the world on his own. Over the course of the movie, he learns that he can depend on other people.  Yes, other heroes (and regular people) have different skill sets, different methods, and they don’t do things the same way as he does.  But he learns that other people can be different and still committed to the same goals he is.  He learns he can let go and trust others, and that he does not need to be responsible for everything or in control of everything. And when he does this, not only will things be ok, but things will work out better than if he had tried to do everything himself.

How relevant is that to most of us right now?

A wise client of mine recently mentioned the phrase, “You can’t set yourself on fire to make other people warm.  In our ever-expanding and increasingly demanding world, it's easy to feel like we need to do more and more ourselves.  In the short term, it feels great. We feel productive and take pride in our accomplishments. We do things the way we want them done. 

But it is also an outstanding formula for burnout.

It takes a great deal of courage to allow other people to help and to depend on others.  It takes a great deal of courage to seek out and obtain mental health care. Our society often promotes the idea that we need to be able to do everything ourselves.  But this is not a realistic or helpful idea.  Getting help from other people and not taking on too much ourselves is often a superior option.  When it is available to us, it’s worth considering.

There is a great deal of research that indicates that the most productive, most healthy and successful families and organizations are those with a high degree of not highly skilled individual workers/family members/etc, but families and groups with high levels of interdependence.  This means that people are aware of their expectations and take steps to collaborate on what needs to be done.  It also means that members of the group need to relinquish their desire to control everything that is going on.   It's hard to give up control.  It can make us feel very vulnerable.

But it works better in the medium and long term.  Interdependence protects against burnout and becoming bitter. There is a principle of group dynamics that the performance of a group of people is always greater than the sum of its parts.  It is ok to have ADHD, ASD, and other forms of mental health concerns.  Human beings are social creatures. I would argue no one person CAN do everything on their own. It’s ok to not be as good as other people at some things.  That doesn’t make someone any less of a person.

At the end of the movie, Superman does not save the day alone.   Well done.

The second theme I appreciated in this movie is the distinction between what makes someone a hero.

What kind of people do we value?  Superman presents two characters. First, Lex Luthor is a brilliant, wealthy, tech business titan who uses his financial and social connections to bribe politicians all over the world.  Lex is also dating a beautiful social media influencer who doesn’t like Lex as a person in the least. In contrast, Clark Kent is a journalist with no significant financial or political resources, and he has a complex, warm, and loving relationship with his girlfriend, Lois Lane, a coworker who cares about him.  Lex cares very little about the suffering caused by his social media empire and misinformation campaigns, which enrich him at the expense of everyday people.  Superman cares deeply about people and recognizes that he has flaws.

I think the movie is also asking the audience, all of us, “Hey you.  Who do you value?  Who does our society value?   Who do we admire?” 

This movie is calling us, as Americans, out on the carpet.  We may like to think we like the Superman types, but it's clear that at this point in history, we are giving far more attention and admiration to the people who are a lot more like Luthor than those who are like Superman.

The film makes the point that what makes someone a hero is not the same as what makes them a celebrity or successful in a shallow sense. It is very easy for individuals with Autism or Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder or Learning Disabilities or other mental health concerns to feel like those difficulties will keep them from ever being fully accepted or being able to keep up with people who do not have these conditions.  Superman states that what makes him great is his ability to keep going, even when he makes mistakes, which he admits he makes many.  He says he tries to make the best choices he can.

And that’s something that no mental illness can take from anyone. 

I think Superman was a delightful movie, and I liked it even more the second time.  In addition to being a fun summer action movie, it had some points that are important for all of us, regardless of our mental health.

David Nathan, MBA, PsyD, LP
I offer ADHD and ASD testing in St. Paul, MN. I would love to help you or a loved one if you are seeking an ADHD or ASD evaluation. For more information, please call me at (651) 337-3944 or fill out my contact form.

Disclaimer:

This site is for information only. It is not therapy. This blog is only for informational and educational purposes and should not be considered therapy or any form of treatment. We are not able to respond to specific questions or comments about personal situations, appropriate diagnosis or treatment, or otherwise provide any clinical opinions. If you think you need immediate assistance, call your local emergency number or the mental health crisis hotline listed in your local phone book. Use of this blog establishes your consent to the provisions of this disclaimer.