What Would The Hulk Do?
The Hulk always wins. Whether the challenge is facing a super villain or answering the question, who is your favorite superhero? In my book, The Hulk always wins.
But, would Dr. Bruce (David) Banner agree?
One of the reasons I have long appreciated the Hulk is that his “human” struggles are obvious and visceral. We may wrestle internally with anger or struggle to express our feelings appropriately showing only a flicker of frustration through a clenched jaw or closing a kitchen drawer with a bit too much force. The green guy has virtually no self-control. He always goes for the SMASH!
There are few better illustrations of the effect of anger on us that Banner and The Hulk. As a friend shared recently, “Anger takes me a long way away from who I want to be.”
No one understands that distance better than Banner. He literally becomes a different person. But isn’t this true for all of us to some degree?
Two nights ago, I got angry with someone. In that moment, I was incredulous. The object of my frustration was clearly an idiot. The fact that I could identify him as such meant that I was clearly not an idiot. The exchange went from connectedness to judgment, superiority, and disconnection at light speed.
A feeling of moral superiority seems to justify nearly any response. Society seems to encourage the idea that our feelings are someone else’s fault. And, since our feelings inform our actions, it’s not too far a leap for some to make to “you made me do that”. We forget that our behavior is our responsibility.
A day later with a cooler head, I realized that the offense that had evoked my ire the night before was something I have been guilty of myself. Something that in the big picture was tiny. Nothing more than an inconvenience. With that awareness came compassion. And connectedness returned.
Regardless of my fondness for The Hulk, the question that really warrants our attention is What Would Banner Do? It is from his vantage point, with the vigilant goal of staying present and connected, that we are best able to help others…and that is what being a superhero is all about.
