The Psychology Behind Superhero Origin Story: The Buddha

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When we hear the word hero, we picture strong, courageous people saving lives. In society, they can be the soldiers, police, or firefighters that go out of their way and put their lives at risk to help others and make a difference. Fictional superheroes from modern day comics and movies amplify this trait, and they are defined through their individual origin story to emphasize their selflessness and motivation. In “The Psychology Behind Superhero Origin Stories”, the author states that “..Origin stories show us not how to become super but how to be heroes, choosing altruism over the pursuit of wealth and power” (Rosenberg 1). Besides showing us the valued traits of a hero, this quote reminds us that not all heroes are action oriented life-savers …show more content…

Born in 563 BCE in modern day India as prince Siddhartha Gautama, The Buddha devoted his life to eliminate the suffering of others. As the son of the king, Siddhartha was given every type of comfort possible, and was expected to inherit the throne. However, Siddhartha believed that he could do more than just serve himself. He believed that he could help people and that he could achieve something for a greater purpose. The Buddha became concerned about suffering when he saw a sick person, an old person, and a corpse all for the first time. His sympathy for the misfortunate motivated him to leave his life as a prince and find understanding on suffering. A hero must help and inspire others with their self-sacrifice and integrity. The Buddha is a revered hero today, not because he is the founder of a major religion, but because he lived a life of self-sacrifice to help others and acted with integrity toward everyone, not just wealthy and powerful …show more content…

He gave up all of his luxury and put his health at risk to find a solution to the suffering of others. He also granted equal opportunities to women and argued against a cruel and unjust system. The Buddha has inspired the world, including me, through his life story and character. His life and work has shown me that it is not the material comforts of today’s world that are important, but the calmness of the mind. After reading about his life, I have decided to try meditation, hoping that it will someday help me become a better person. When many people picture heroes, they think of superhero-type heroes, who are powerfully built and constantly save lives, but there are heroes like The Buddha, whose integrity and self-sacrifice to help others has made a special difference in the world. As The Buddha once said “To live a pure unselfish life, one must count nothing as one's own in the midst of abundance” (Wilson 2), The Buddha showed that one must help let go of their own needs to help others, and that one must act with respect and proper moral values towards

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