Superman vs. Average American (Patterns of Development Part 2– Compare and Contrast)

Many long-lived questions have tugged at the human psyche since the dawn of time. Is there extraterrestrial life on other planets in our solar system? What will happen to us after we pass on? Is there a greater meaning to life as we know it? However, there is one other question equally ripe for discussion, perhaps the most unexplored psychological playground of all. What are the similarities and differences between Superman and an average human being?


At the surface, Superman and an average human being are quite similar! Perhaps even remarkably so! However, the deeper down you drill, the more you will discover about how truly different Superman and an average human being really are!


Appearance-wise, their correlations draw a mixed bag. Though Superman and an average man both are host to classic features such as noses, eyes, ears, mouths, torsos, legs, arms, hair, feet, hands, and with some leap of faith, reproductive organs, there are several key aesthetic differences as well. Although an average man traditionally dresses in classic 21^st century garb; jeans, t-shirt, sneakers, perhaps for some average men formal wear, Superman is usually outfitted in a drastically unalike get-up. Superman prefers to go about in a vibrant blue, red and yellow costume that hugs his incredibly rugged, sculpted physique, equipped with a giant letter “S” plastered across his chest, and a cape draped about his shoulders.  Average man, in most cases, is notably without said cape.


In terms of natural ability, there are similar parallels to be drawn, though once again there is an eventual fork in the figurative road. While an average human and Superman are both quite similar in the fact that they are both sentient beings who thrive off of such essential processes such as respiration, and both are capable of communication through such hallmarks of the homosapien as talking, there is a surprisingly stark contrast between the two beyond this point. While average man is capable of such feats as leaping several feet in a single bound, operating within the normal confines of time and space, and lifting things a bit heavier than themselves; Superman is capable of completing tasks like flying, turning back time and destroying several-thousand pound metal vehicles with  his hands.


All in all, I feel it is hard to come to a conclusion as to a clear “superior” between an average human being and Superman. Both entities are with their areas of expertise, and their obvious flaws. Although I feel I’ve done a proper job here of addressing all possible vantage points of the infamous question, I think people will probably battle with its answer until the dawn of time.