Can you be as honest as Superman?
You can turn honesty into your superpower.
Superman is the good guys of good guys; the perfect boy scout. Needless to say that we can’t match his strength, speed or any of his super powers. But what about his honesty? Do you consider yourself to be an honest person? Would you be able to say that you are just as honest as Superman? Even though being honest doesn’t seem out of reach, Superman takes it to another level when he’s facing a tough challenge.
In the 1978 Superman movie, there’s an iconic scene in which Lois Lane interviews Superman in her balcony. Lois asks Superman if there’s a reason for him to be here on Earth. He promptly replies, “Yes, I’m here to fight for truth, justice and the American way.”
“I don’t believe this,” says Lois in disbelief.
“Lois, I never lie.” Superman replies to Lois. He wants to make sure that she understands that he’s for real. He’s not saying that just for saying. Superman truly believes in what he said. And Lois probably didn’t mean that Superman was lying; she’s just trying to figure out how naive this guy is. Nevertheless, Superman was firm in his reply stating that he definitely never lies. If we hear someone saying that they never lie, it’s easy to cross our eyes thinking that talk is cheap; I’d like to see you back it up.
Later in that movie, Superman has a chance to walk the talk. Lex Luthor lures Superman into a trap. Superman opens a box that was hiding kryptonite. Unfortunately, in that interview with Lois in her balcony, Superman revealed that he has a problem seeing through lead. Lois published that in the Daily Planet, which Lex used against Superman. At that point, Superman was getting weaker and weaker. Lex placed the kryptonite on Superman as though it were a necklace just before pushing Superman into Lex Luthor’s private swimming pool.
Lex did that to neutralize Superman. Lex had an evil plan to destroy the west coast. He sent a rocket to destroy California, so that the land that he (Lex) bought, which was considered to be worthless desert, would then become the new west coast. The price for Luthor’s land would skyrocket. In good conditions, Superman could easily stop the rocket to save the day, but there was a second rocket heading to the East Coast. That second rocket’s target was Hackensack, New Jersey.
Superman can’t save both; he needs to make a choice. Which one does he save? He can sure stop one rocket. So, whichever he chooses to go first, that will be a slam dunk. But will he have time to fly across the country to prevent the second rocket from hitting its target? That’s hard to tell. It’s a good bet that he won’t make it in time. And it gets even worse because he’s sinking in Luthor’s swimming pool with a piece of kryptonite on his neck. Time is passing by. That makes it clear to us that he needs to make a choice. Which place is he going first? Does Superman save California or New Jersey?
That’s when Miss Teschmacher, who’s part of Lex Luthor’s team, shows up. Her mom lives in Hackensack and she will likely die because of Lex’s evil plan. It’s up for Mrs. Teschmacher to make a deal with Superman. She will remove the kryptonite from Superman if he promises to go to New Jersey to stop that rocket first. Superman claims that he can’t do that. Superman already made up his mind that he’s going to California because Lois and Jimmy are there; He’s thinking about saving them first. However, Miss Teschmacher’s priority is her mother. She won’t save Superman unless he gives his word that he will go to Hackensack first. She even says, “If you promise me, I’ll believe you cause you always tell the truth.” After realizing that he won’t be able to bargain his way, Superman nods his head in agreement with Miss Teschmacher.
She dives into the swimming pool and removes the kryptonite from Superman. Within seconds, Superman restores his strength, stands up tall and flies away. As a man of his words, Superman kept his promise, and did save New Jersey first. Then he flew to California, but he was too late to save Lois. Now let’s skip the part that he changes things and ends up saving Lois in a different way. Let’s just focus on the part that Superman kept his word.
The deal was that if Miss Teschmacher saved Superman by removing the kryptonite from him, he would then save Miss Teschmacher’s mother before saving Lois. We shouldn’t overlook this moment in the movie. It is a wonderful display of how high Superman’s honesty can go. After Miss Teschmacher takes away the kryptonite, nothing prevents Superman from doing whatever he wants. He could have gone to California to save Lois first, and only then he would try to save Hackensack if he had time. If that were you instead of Superman, what would you do?
Think of a loved one. Who is the most precious person for you in the whole? Is it your spouse? Your parents? Your children? Would you not lie to save them? Would you have kept your word like Superman did, even though you’re not sure you will have time to save your loved ones? If you have high standards for yourself, that’s a tough question to ask. Your answer doesn’t make you a dishonest person; it just means you are not as honest as Superman. Maybe you could find a way to keep your word and still save your loved ones.
Some might say that being honest is overrated. They may claim that it’s too hard and that it doesn’t pay off. So, if anybody ever asks you why you decided to turn honesty into your superpower, you simply say that you chose a job with less competition.
About the Creator
Matt Silva
The best movies will give us ENTERTAINMENT and a LIFE LESSON at the same time.
That kind of movie I like to call INSIGHTFUL MOVIES.
Follow me as I share insightful moments that are worth reading about.
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“He Kept Going When No One Was Watching — And That Changed Everything”
No one ever noticed the days he almost gave up. There were no messages asking if he was okay. No one wondered why he became quieter. No one asked how much effort it took just to keep going. To the world, he was just another ordinary man. His name was Ayaan. Ayaan’s life didn’t collapse in one dramatic moment. It slowly faded. Missed opportunities. Rejected ideas. Silent disappointments. Every failure was small, but together they became heavy. He had dreams once. Big ones. Dreams that kept him awake at night, imagining a future where his hard work would finally matter. But over time, those dreams began to feel unrealistic—almost embarrassing. People around him seemed to move forward effortlessly. They celebrated promotions, achievements, and milestones. Ayaan watched from the side, smiling politely while feeling invisible. At work, his efforts were ignored. Among friends, his voice faded. At home, expectations weighed heavily on him. Slowly, a dangerous thought settled into his mind: “Maybe I’m not good enough.” That thought followed him everywhere. It followed him on crowded buses. It followed him into sleepless nights. It followed him every time he tried again and failed. One night, after scrolling through endless success stories online, Ayaan closed his phone and stared at the dark ceiling. His chest felt tight, not because of pain—but because of exhaustion. He whispered quietly, “How long do I keep trying?” There was no answer. But that night, Ayaan made a decision—not a loud one, not a confident one. A tired decision. He decided to keep going, even if nothing changed. The next morning felt the same. The same routine. The same doubts. The same fear of wasting his life. But Ayaan showed up anyway. He worked when no one praised him. He studied when no one guided him. He practiced when no one believed in him. Some days, motivation disappeared completely. On those days, discipline took over. He reminded himself: “I don’t need applause. I need progress.” Weeks passed. Nothing dramatic happened. No sudden success. No recognition. No miracle. But something subtle began to shift. Ayaan became calmer under pressure. He learned to sit with discomfort instead of running from it. He stopped comparing his journey to others. The silence that once scared him now became his training ground. Months later, a serious problem appeared at his workplace. It was complicated, risky, and easy to blame on someone else. Most people avoided it. Some pretended it wasn’t their responsibility. Ayaan didn’t announce himself. He didn’t seek attention. He simply started working. Late nights. Mistakes. Corrections. Learning. There were moments he wanted to quit. Moments when fear whispered, “You’re not ready.” But he answered back, “I’ll learn.” Slowly, the problem began to disappear. Not perfectly—but steadily. People noticed, quietly. One afternoon, his manager called him into the office. Ayaan expected criticism. Instead, he heard a question that stunned him: “Where did you learn all this?” Ayaan paused. How could he explain years of silent effort? How could he explain working when no one cared? He simply replied, “I kept going.” That moment didn’t change his life overnight. He didn’t become famous. He didn’t suddenly become successful. But it changed something far more important. His belief in himself. For the first time, Ayaan understood that life doesn’t always reward effort immediately. Sometimes, it watches. It watches who continues without praise. Who improves without recognition. Who grows in silence. Years later, Ayaan looked back at the version of himself who almost quit. The man who felt invisible. The man who thought no one was watching. And he smiled. Because he finally understood the truth: Life was always watching. Not to judge. Not to rush. But to see if he would keep going when it was hardest. The world doesn’t reward those who only work when they’re seen. It rewards those who build strength in silence. And sometimes, the moment that changes everything doesn’t come with applause. It comes quietly. After patience. After effort. After consistency. That is when everything finally begins to change. Final Message Keep going—even when no one is watching. Especially then.
By Inayat khan5 days ago in Motivation
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