Hyperbole: How to be a Superhero

We can only be who we are. It’s a shame, really, because so many of us are just ordinary, normal people.

Who wants to be normal, anyway? To be a gentleman of renown you can either do two things: work hard and get lucky, or (my favorite) lie! Now, when I mean lie, I don’t mean spit in someone’s coffee and call it sugar. I mean stretch the truth. 

More specifically, I mean use hyperbole. Hyperbole is the art of intentional exaggeration; with it, your cup becomes a flagon, your car becomes a gallant vessel, and your workout on the treadmill becomes an epic battle against the robotic uprising!

Through hyperbole the unreal becomes real, that’s the beauty of it. For instance, I said in an earlier post that I “break necks and cash checks”. Of course, I don’t really mean that I physically dominate anyone, or go to the banks with invoices in hand. But I do get things done—but my way just sounds cooler.

One thing to note is that it's not about actually becoming the person or thing you want to emulate. It's only convincing others that you are whatever it is you say you are. For example:

If only the real Superman had hair like this.

This man is not Superman for a number of reasons, all of which are obvious. Yet, if you see this guy walking down the street, you will naturally call him 'black superman' or, if you don’t want to put race into this, 'superman with chest hair’. And that is the point. If you can successfully hammer into people that you aren't just 'some guy' but someone special--you have already won.

To adopt a persona that isn't yourself can do amazing things. It can give you the confidence to do things that you wouldn't normally do. This is because you aren't yourself, you are whoever you want to be. For example, the real life version of Peter Pan:

This is his 'just hanging out' stance.

No, he is not Peter Pan. That's just what 99% of the people who see him walking down the street will recognize him as. Now, this might look like an extreme case. You may even be thinking, 'hey this guy looks like a freak, why would I want to follow his exploits?' Well, I offer him solely as an example. You don't have to dress up like someone to change yourself, but it helps. Oh, and to retort the hellacious claim that this man is beneath you, this guy gets the ladies.

Who's crazy now?

That's right. While many may look at this man with scorn, he still has the moves to shmooze with 3 goth girls. Not really my style, but he seems to be having a good time. I’m sure that by the end of that night he took all those girls to Neverland where they flew through the air with all the pixie dust he could afford. (All puns intended)

So there you have it. When you want to be great, like a man that moves mountains with his thoughts and can run upside down, all you need to do say it. Give it a basis in reality and it too shall become real. And then, my friends, you can take on anything.

Cheers.