hero time is
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“The most interesting villains are the ones who make us uncomfortable because we look at them and we recognize ourselves.”

Kevin Durand

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Well. I imagine all of us have some ‘villain’ inside us. Ok. That it is an uncomfortable thought. Ok. Maybe it is a confusing thought also.

Darth out for a drink at local bar

Darth out for a drink at local bar

Here is what I mean.

This villain inside us scares, and confuses us, because we like to think we are good and not capable of doing bad villain-like things and, yet (if we are honest with our selves) we like to believe we COULD be capable of bad things.

This contradictory thinking confuses us. Especially those of us who desire to not only live a good life, but be ‘good’ and do what is right.

We tend to view villains as living in a different world with different rules than we do and, yet, we could somehow almost envision how we, if placed in a different world with different rules, could be something like the villains.

I don’t know. Maybe that is our way of justifying the bad within what we want to be good?

Anyway. I tend to believe we worry a little about whether environment, or context, absolves us of any moral responsibilities. ‘Power, or money, corrupts’ is the most often ‘context’ we toss around as the one that steers us away from being heroic (note: this is quite the personal responsibility sleight of hand).

Now, on the other hand, we do like that a villain could … well … be on our side (even the one within us). In fact. We like the thought we have something inside us to take on the responsibility for what we know is right, but wrong.

I think we make a mistake when we look at villains in movies and in books and resolve our ‘I like aspect’ as “well, it is just a book” or “it is environmental/contextual.’ I think its a mistake because I actually believe we should embrace the aspects of the villain within us. It doesn’t make us a bad person nor does it suggest we will go out and do some nefarious villain-like activity as soon as we have the opportunity.

All it suggests is that we are winning the war within ourselves with regard to good versus bad.

It suggests we have the capability to be bad (and certainly Life offers a shitload of opportunities to be or do bad things) and, yet, despite some inner urge <on occasion> and opportunity we do not actually use our capability to be bad (we remain good).story hero tattoo

Look.

Villains remind us we are not always good and that maybe we don’t always think good things.

Villains remind us we are not perfect morally or behavior wise.

Villains remind us of the inexactness of good and bad.

Villains remind us to … well … appreciate the light rather than the dark while still appreciating aspects of the dark.

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“Forget your perfect offering.

There is a crack in everything.

That’s how the light gets in.”

Leonard Cohen

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advice imperfections inspireYeah. Villains can excite us and make us uncomfortable, but, mostly, villains remind us we are not perfect offerings. We have cracks and dark parts and light parts.

And, yet, I would remind everyone that there are almost 7 and ½ billion people in the world and for the most part the majority of us wake up every day facing the overall grind of Life, get along relatively well and go to sleep at night without having been a villain, done any villain like activity or had to face down a villain.

Yes, there are villains in the world and there is most likely an aspect or two of a villain within us, but for the most part good wins out.

It ain’t perfect, but for the most part its good.

In fact. We ain’t perfect, we all have some villain in us, but for the most part we are good.

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Written by Bruce