Individuality

If you wake up tomorrow with super powers, what would you do?

That's the catchphrase from the television series Heroes.

If you chance upon the commercial of the TV series several times and see that line over and over again, you will probably subconsciously start wondering how you will answer the same question. Or maybe it's just me.

And I wondered what super power I would want. In the fictional world, you can make up the power that you want to have and make it your own. But let's not focus on the power that you can have. Let us focus on the fact that in the few episodes that I've seen, one of the themes that seem to be common is the different character's need to hide their powers. It seems like having super power means being an outcast in society.

If you think about it, most of the superheroes seem to have this common want of hiding the gifts that they have. Let's take Superman, Wonderwoman, Batman, and Spiderman. All of them take extra care in ensuring that their powers are separated from their normal lives.

And why is that? It's because that's how society is. Show them one person who strives for individuality and they would label him/her weird or eccentric. It's like trying to be different is an abnormality that people usually try to steer away from.

Yet if you read some books, people are usually encouraged to show their individuality. How do you do that when one is sometimes persecuted for being unique or different?

Some part of us wants an assurance that we are different, that we are not just carbon copies of each other. And yet sometimes we fall under the trap of following the trend and going with the flow. How to break the monotony and show a unique side of you? I don't know. Maybe it's enough that we try every now and then to be different, to assert our personal touch. And also try not to be too judgmental about people who are brave enough to show their individuality.

And maybe, just maybe, superheroes would not need to hide their powers.

Hi, I am Theresa and I am a superhero. =)