Life Lessons from Stan Lee
Superhero Creator, Stan Lee, offers his biggest life lessons.
Behind every great superhero stands a legend, the man who created them all, or at least all the Marvel ones, is Stan Lee. From modest beginnings of a family run business to creating a multimedia corporation called Marvel Studios, Stan Lee’s dreams became the stories that wrote our childhood. Here are the 4 Life Lessons to learn from one of the greats.
Lesson One: Acknowledge your flaws.
Everyone has a part of themselves that they hide. Even from the people they love the most – Spiderman
Stan Lee
It’s no secret that from the mind of Stan Lee we met and journeyed with plenty of Super Heroes. What really enthralled us most was that these super heroes were not perfect, they had flaws just like the rest of us. What usually made them super wasn’t what made them heroes, it was the ability of learning and developing and us as the reader or the viewer having something in common with them.
Stan Lee pointed out through Spiderman, through Thor, through many other heroes, that to acknowledge our flaws and correct them will ultimately help us to defeat evil. And no matter what super power you might have, you are still human (mostly) and human’s make mistakes.
Lesson Two: Speak out on matters that matter.
That person who helps others simply because it should or must be done, and because it is the right thing to do, is indeed without a doubt, a real superhero.
Stan Lee
Stan Lee spoke out about racism in 1968, a time in history where speaking out against these issues was uncommon, especially for a first generation American born to Jewish parents in NYC. Lee used his mega platform and his content to speak out on all social issues and injustices. The very Fantastic Four, (inspired by rival comic team Justice League) was born from a desire to see a world where all people are treated fairly and justly. From the creation of racially diverse characters, to working with people from different ethnicities, he was able to stand up against racial discrimination both inside and outside the entertainment world. Lee’s message was strong
Bigotry and racism are among the deadliest social ills plaguing the world today
Stan Lee – The Bronx, NYC 1968.
Lesson Three: If you never try, you’ll never know.
After the second world war, where Lee served in the Signal Corps, the comic book was nearly dead. Forced to write on romantic adventures or wild west cowboys, Stan was ready to throw in the towel and quit. His wife Joan suggested
Before you do (quit), why don’t you do one book the way you would like to do it? The worst that happens is Martin will fire you, and so what? You want to quit anyway.
Joan – Wife of Stan Lee and real creator of the Marvel Universe.
From here, the Fantastic Four were created. The Fantastic Four modeled real life, with a couple trying to hold the team together, two knuckleheads always fighting. Lee was able to humanize these “Super Beings” and having them set in his very own NYC made these comics undeniably popular. From here the cascade of incredible characters were introduced, Hulk, Spiderman, Iron Man etc. This goes to show that if you want something, go for it, the worst that happens is you fail and learn from it and move on.
Lesson Four: With Great Power comes Great Responsibility.
If I bet you a million dollars who originally made this quote, 99% of Marvel lovers would get it wrong. Although famously said by Peter Parker’s Uncle Ben, it was first said by French writer Voltaire. Like Lee, Voltaire was a visionary with his sights set on social justice, freedom of speech, and separation of church and state. This one line from Voltaire spoken into Marvel has served to remind us, those who are powerful must use their powers for the good of everyone. Making a difference inside and outside of comic books was a lifetime mission for Stan Lee, and mission accomplished I’d say.
