Batman is a symbol of human potential -- and neoliberalism.
Batman is at once magnificent and terrifying. This is the quandary of human potential. It’s at once inspiring and troubling. Some go far and reach great heights, yet there’s always a consequence of glory.
This isn’t a railing against the Caped Crusader. I have two Batman posters framed in my room. The top of my bookshelf is a collection of Batman comics. My office has a Batman comic selection. The wall in front of my desk has a picture of Batman. Yes, I even have Batman underpants -- they were a gift, I swear!
Batman has been a frame for my life, and when I’m troubled, I turn to Batman for inspiration. Yet, still, he’s a troubling figure.
One the one hand, we can look at this defender of Gotham and imagine a trajectory of human potential. Bruce Wayne spent the better part of his life training every aspect of himself. He trained his mind, his body, and his spirit. He’s a master of chemistry, forensics, stealth, combat, meditation, driving, flying; he's a master detective. He’s an actor, an escape artist, a gymnast and a master of disguise. He’s a genius, he’s an altruist and he’s obviously a badass.
No one can ever be all that this very fictional man of bats is, but through the example of this character, we can see and know that not all skills are inherent or gifted at birth. They’re worked for, they’re strived for, and their attained with the aid of a purpose -- a goal. In essence, Batman is the brightest example of what living for a goal can lead to.
Batman’s goal leads him to brutalize people in darkened streets. That’s obviously problematic -- using violence as a means to an end -- a sort of “might makes right” philosophy never really works in practice. Yet his goal also lead him to the peak of human potential.
It’s magnificent to believe in someone. To inspire them and let them inspire you. It’s wonderful to look at someone who’s done amazing things and to credit them their achievement. But at a certain point, the achievements that we so often say rest on merit, demerits the achievements of others.
Batman is inspiring because he’s wealthy and he uses his wealth for social good. Moreover, he suffered great tragedy and overcame it; this is the crux of the character. And so often when we look at inspiring social figures in the pages of real life, the narrative is the same, although significantly less dramatic. No social leaders I know of saw their parents murdered in from of them and thusly became capable of beating an invulnerable alien named Superman into submission with virtually nothing but their wits. Nevertheless, it’s always a story of struggle, hard work and achievement.
There’s nothing wrong with valuing hard work, it’s just a matter of what work is valued. Batman in the comics or the films is more of a mysterious force in his city than a champion of the people, but in real life, Batman is an idolized figure in popular culture. He’s a modern myth, a quasi-god. We look up to him -- I do.
Valuing high achievement as a sign of merit is not problematic on its face, but its consequence is. High achievement, the glory of awesomeness, drowns out all else. Those who do not aspire for -- or who not know the opportunity that is culturally valued to be glory bound -- do not receive the proper attention. That’s not to say that we as a society should not praise individuals for their worthy achievements, but it does pay dividends in terms of a broader sense of social happiness and well-being to consider the glory of the small deeds.
A sort of working class hero that brings a smile to her job every day may not be on the cover of her own comic book, but she is a driving force of our social good. That smile may be all she can give when her primary goal is just to survive.
In the neoliberal world -- one chiefly enamored with the attainment of high social status, wealth, fame and conquest -- there is no space for the celebration of a simple smile. Batman never smiles. It’s a waste of his time. He’s too high-minded.
We celebrate high achieving, hardworking folks when they come out on top and demonstrate their prowess. We may also find room to celebrate the little achievements that truly save us in our daily lives. While so many of us are still in the struggle, and will likely remain there for some time, perhaps it’s best to find our heroes who continue on our same struggle and who persevere.
To triumph over the challenges in life is not always to master them. Just managing is sometimes enough.
