Learning From Comic-book Characters and Romantic Movies

You might be surprised to learn that, for a substantial part, comic-book readers are neither children nor teenagers. Enthusiastic collectors know every Spiderman adventure by heart and, nowadays, internet sites allow people to trade old editions of Superman adventures. We cannot tell exactly how many adults are still burning with that flame, but the number goes into the thousands.

Romantic movies and pocket books are steadfastly consumed by many women from the cradle to the grave. The details portrayed in sentimental tales have become more explicit in the last decades, but the old feelings are still there. The size of the market, if we include romantic TV serials, amounts to billions of US dollars per year.

The demand for stories continues to grow worldwide, 24 hours a day, never taking a single day of vacation. Since Ancient Greece, the three acts are still played out relentlessly, as though the world had never changed. The discovery of a kindred spirit, the abandonment to passion, and the victory over difficulties fill our television screens, movie theatres, bookshops, and popular magazines.

What lesson can be learned from this flood of adventure, action, and everlasting hope? If you think that this is a meaningless phenomenon, please pause and make a list of the people you know who never watch such films, buy such books, or follow such stories on TV. Chances are that your list will be short. Here is why:

1. An important segment of the population draws their ethical convictions from popular fiction, whether in the form of novels, films, or television episodes. Intellectual approaches to morality, philosophy, and happiness are as rare as purely rational investors.

2. There are good reason why human beings prefer to take their ethical cues from fiction rather than from professional philosophers. If only because movies, TV films, and comic-books are more fun, cheaper, and more readily accessible than sophisticated moral discourse.

3. Amongst a wide variety of abstract ideas, it is difficult to tell which one is true. On the other hand, fiction can be quickly judged as entertaining or boring, satisfying or disconcerting. Well-constructed stories present self-contained value assessments that can be instantly apprehended.

The conclusion is not that you should discard organized thinking and research as tools for establishing the truth. By all means, push your intellectual and business pursuits forward, but do not underestimate the difficulty of communicating complex chains of thoughts to unfamiliar audiences.

My point is that stories offer a short-cut for presenting ideas. A dry exposition will always lose against a sequence of dramatic images held together by clear motivation. Making your argumentation easily accessible is frequently as important as ensuring that you are building your thoughts on consistent premises.

When it comes to the ability to show what is right and wrong, comic-book characters and romantic heroines form the most effective group of teachers to learn from. Let us acknowledge the power of sharp story-telling, extract the best it has to offer, and use it to our advantage.

JOHN VESPASIAN writes about rational living. He has resided in New York, Madrid, Paris, and Munich. His stories reflect the values of entrepreneurship, tolerance, and self-reliance. See John Vespasian's blog about rational living.

http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com/