The set of experiences and challenges man had to go through, is going through, and will
go through are what creates his/her life as a whole. These, too, are the factors that shape who
s/he is as a person—his identity. These distinguish him/her from the others. Therefore, man can
be defined as the sum of his/her continuing past. And by continuing past it means that his past
is created every moment of his/her life as it is every moment that s/he enters a new life—a new
set of experiences, moving on from what is already done. It is given that we only live one
moment once, it may be repeated, but the sense experience will never be the same again.
The song Superheroes by The Script narrates that life is naturally stringed with
challenges that man needs to face. These challenges may be stepping stones for
his/her growth or these may be the stagnating factors in his/her life. When these
challenges are perceived positively, they fuel man to rise above them. Their internal will,
as mentioned by Nietzsche, is piqued. Man exploits this strength to gain victory against
the hindrances towards happiness and contentment. In the music video as well, it is
illustrated that a person’s loved one is a strong driving force which establishes man’s
determination towards his/her goal.
Life challenges man as a disguise of encouragement to actively live and direct
the life s/he has. In the song, we follow the experience of two persons—a man and a
woman—through the eyes of life itself. It is proposed in the first stanza that the woman
has seen the meaner side of life--her ambitious dream was robbed because of the
circumstance presented to her. However, what was served on her plate, she utilized to
build up hope and optimism within herself so that she can continue to function towards
her dream, little by little. The line “A heart of steel starts to grow” signifies this character
build up that, too, is experienced by the man in the song. As they slowly pave their path
towards grasping their dreams, the virtue of patience is developed. The two persons’
decision to use their struggle as driving forces of continuity asserts Soren Kierkegaard’s
notion of freedom, personal choice, and Aristotle’s philosophy of man as a rational
being. It illustrates Aristotle’s philosophy because of the presence of introspection
among persons (theoretike dianoia) and the two individuals’ selection of perseverance
over giving up that was solely chosen by themselves. This course of action asserts my
next point, struggling experiences further amplifies man’s sense of self.
Experiences that test oneself wherein s/he is able to overcome them, further
amplifies man’s sense of self. According to Aristotle, man is composed of two subparts:
rational and irrational. Under the irrational part of the soul, it stems another classification
which is the appetitive side that is responsible for the natural desires of man. Thumos is
the desire for recognition and honor, while Boulesis is the desire for happiness. When
man is able to surpass a challenging situation, it feeds Thumos and Boulesis because
naturally others who surround you and have witnessed you struggle to fight for your
dilemmas will applaud you for your job well-done. And as for boulesis, it meets joy
because man was able to accomplish something difficult to have been won over. After
celebrating his/her victory over the trying times, s/he recognizes that s/he is capable of
such thing that he now brands himself as that characteristic that best fits his experience.
This furthers his/sense of self as s/he identifies this experience as a part of his being.