The Benefits of Acting Like Superman

Nobody will be able to soar through the air, deflect bullets, lift huge vehicles in order to rescue people trapped underneath or perform any of the other acts depicted in Superman, Batman or other super hero movies, but according to one researcher we can still benefit physically and emotionally by copying their examples.

At least that is the claim of Kent Gray a Canadian psychology student at Harvard University as reported in the editorial pages of the Vancouver Sun on May 15, 2010. Gray claims that his research has revealed that people stereotype heroes ( and villains) as having , "a mind less sensitive to pain and more capable of exerting willpower."

And he says that studies show that does happen. Persons who are engaged in thinking about or even better - doing good things for other persons do gain in both physical and emotional endurance while engaged in these activities.

As it turns out the same studies Gray speaks about also showed that persons engaged in evil thoughts or actions that resulted in harm to other also gained both physical and emotional strength and endurance while engaged in these -- but we won't go there because we know that such acts in the end are destructive not only for the victims but also for the perpetrators.

Our brains and consciences are just like that automatic pilot on an airplane. Good information loaded into that automatic pilot will help ensure a safe flight. Wrong will cause a disaster, like guiding that airliner into the side of a mountain and killing everybody. Wrong information or ideas that we load into our brains and conscious will also result in a disasters for ourselves and others.

What we want to focus on is doing good for other because the studies that Gray referred to showed that the real winners were people who were engaged in thinking about and carrying out acts that helped others.

You can get more information about this at either the Vancouver Sun Web site: vancouversun.com or the print journal - Psychological and Personality Science.

It sounds like it could be very interesting reading – and very logical. If you listen to the stories from people who have spent years working tirelessly to help people in Africa and other countries you realize that Superman was really onto something.