I talk a lot about Superman because he’s my favorite superhero. Some people laugh at a statement like that because they think it’s silly to idolize a fictional character as perfect as him. He seems too simple and boring. But I don’t see Superman that way at all. In fact, I find him rich in complexity, and I just discovered a new wrinkle to his dynamic nature.

A Walking Service Project

I’ve been reading an intriguing book called Toxic Charity by Robert D. Lupton, and it’s opened my eyes to many things I had never considered before about being generous. You see, when good people see a crisis, they experience a knee-jerk desire to intervene and help people in need. But what about after the crisis has passed? Our efforts to relieve suffering must transition into something less hands-on or else they will lead to disastrous results such as dependency, resentment, and dishonesty. And it’s extremely difficult to make that transition.

As the book notes, there’s a reason why poor countries in Africa, the Caribbean, and elsewhere remain poor after receiving billions of dollars in foreign aid over decades. It might seem strange, but money alone is not the answer to most problems involving poverty. Creativity and adaptability are much more important. Money has to be used in smart ways to lift people out of bad habits and enable them to become more self-reliant. And it has to be done on an individual basis, not just throwing seeds into a field and expecting them to grow without any land cultivation or careful watering.

What does this have to do with Superman? Everything!

Superman is a walking (and flying) service project, a do-gooder who can literally go around the world relieving suffering. There’s nothing to stop him from solving everyone’s problems. So why doesn’t he?

Because he has a wise father.

How Superman Helps

Before we get to that, let’s first talk about the first time Superman reveals himself to the world in Superman: The Movie. The thing I remember most about that scene is the restraint with which Superman conducts himself through it all. He doesn’t stick around long enough to have an interview with an obviously overwhelmed Lois or any of the members of the press he passed by at the bottom of the Daily Planet Building.

When he saves Lois, he does only what needs to be done and nothing more. As soon as he puts Lois and the helicopter on the landing pad, he invites some professionals to come do their jobs.

Then he simply identifies himself as “A friend” to quell Lois’s fears about him, and he flies away with a modest farewell, as if he was just taking a stroll around the block. But he’s really flying around Metropolis looking for other opportunities to serve his community in ways no one else can.

He repeats this same pattern for the next few scenes. He defers to human authorities each time he catches a bad guy or saves aircraft from falling out of the sky. He’s just there to do what’s needed in a moment of crisis. Nothing more.

It would be easy for Superman to do everything at super-speed with greater efficiency than any human could. After all, he is the fastest typist his editor Perry White has ever seen. But no. He hands criminals off to a nearby police officer or the local precinct. He even salutes the pilots in the cockpit of Air Force One after he stands in for their destroyed engine, acknowledging them as equals with the same mission of safely landing that plane.

There’s one moment that you could point out to seemingly discredit my whole argument. That’s when Superman gently plucks a cat from a tree and hands it to its little-girl owner. She probably could have done that by herself or asked her mom or another grownup to help her. But Superman still swooped in and did something beneath his station. Why?

You may recall that lightning was beginning to flash in the distance as Superman was flying nearby, signaling an incoming storm. Superman knew that the safest place for that girl to be was in her house, and putting the cat into her hands was the quickest way to accomplish that goal. So that’s why he stepped in and did something that could otherwise be done without his aid.

The point is, Superman could easily be a tyrant. Instead, he’s a servant. And not just any servant, but an effective one who puts himself on equal footing with people who could definitely feel like they’re beneath him because of his godlike power. Superman is neither rich nor is he a king. But he does have moral authority.

He’s the son of a great scientist on his homeworld of Krypton and the adopted son of a humble farmer in Kansas, both of whom died in his formative years. Thankfully, Superman was able to get a lot of guidance from both of them over the years that helped him become the man he is.

Jor-El’s Wisdom of the Ages

Jor-El teaches his son to inspire people to be the best they can be. Once Superman reveals himself to the world, Jor-El counsels him to be reserved in how he demonstrates his power in one of the film’s most-moving scenes.

In a few words, Jor-El was able to pass on the wisdom of the ages. He warns his son to maintain a secret identity in large part because if he served humanity 24 hours a day, “Your help would be called for endlessly, even for those tasks which human beings can solve themselves. It is their habit to abuse their resources in such a way.”

That perfectly summarizes what Toxic Charity taught me. If do-gooders get in the habit of doing things for people in need that they could do for themselves, they actually do a disservice to those people. It’s far too easy to relax and let someone else do important (and essential) work. It’s a much better idea to partner with them to accomplish tasks together. Ask any parent what their goal is, and it likely won’t be to have their children be dependent on them forever. They want to help their children become independent. And the way to do that is to encourage them to do hard things.

Superman seemed to already know this lesson, based on his actions the previous night. But it’s still helpful to reiterate the point that he doesn’t need to be everything to everyone all the time. In fact, it’s best if he doesn’t make the mistake of attempting to do that. What makes him such a blessing whenever he encounters a dangerous situation is that people know they can trust him to do the right thing.

And that’s more than saving the day. They trust him to fly off once the day is saved and not overstay his welcome.

Imagine if Superman were the kind of man who would stick around and bask in his fans’ adulation and praise. Or if he demanded that everyone (including civil and military authorities) obey his will because he obviously knows better than them. Or if he complained about people letting things fall to pieces when he just solved them 10 minutes ago.

None of that sounds like Superman.

Following in the Footsteps of the Man of Steel

For a guy who stands for truth, justice, and the American way of life, Superman sure shows a lot of mercy. He is basically charity personified. And it’s the best kind of charity, not the kind that creates a world of victims relying on handouts from misguided saviors. Superman learned the lesson from his Earth father that he can’t do everything, and his Kryptonian father helped him put that philosophy into words.

Maybe we can consider Jor-El’s philosophy as we go about trying to make the world a better place. If we do things for people that they could easily do for themselves, we rob them of their dignity. Let’s make sure we emulate the Man of Steel by not stealing our fellow man’s opportunities for self-respect.

This is the Deja Reviewer bidding you farewell until we meet again.

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