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20 Reasons Why Being A Superhero Actually Sucks


20 Reasons Why Being A Superhero Actually Sucks


The Less Glamorous Side Of Saving The Day

Thanks to comic books and plenty of superhero movies, everyone always thinks that living that life would be the dream. Impressive powers, public admiration, and a cool suit? Sign us up! But when you really think of the reality of living like a hero every single day, you might start to realize the problems. Once you look past the costumes and reputation, you'll start to pick up on these 20 reasons why being a superhero actually sucks.

1781211397e82a838eec22b426a1e73541e6bf2f1440909f9a.jpgVitaly Gariev on Unsplash

1. You'd Have Almost No Privacy

Superheroes hardly ever manage to keep their secret identities private, and the moment everyone learns your name, your personal life would disappear in an instant. Reporters, fans, critics, and curious strangers would constantly want to know where you live, who you care about, and what you do when you’re off duty.

1781209006439057b41d15d1019cb2e0689c5927e4f482268a.jpgFreddy Kearney on Unsplash

2. Your Schedule Would Never Be Yours

Whatever plans you have set, whether it's a date with your partner, a vacation, or a birthday to celebrate, all of those have to be put on hold if a superhero emergency came calling. Being a hero means being called into action at any moment, which means ordinary plans are basically impossible to keep.

1781209122ca412164ba118cf3c368656b38c1e1daa588a421.jpgMarcel Eberle on Unsplash

3. Your Clothes Would Be A Constant Problem

When you're constantly changing in and out of your superhero costume, your normal clothes start to become difficult to upkeep. From getting burned, torn, soaked, stained, or damaged during fights or rescues, maintenance would definitely be annoying and not to mention, expensive.

17812092705e1e3df9501659035c5da895f41e3817d3acd5db.jpgKaeli Hearn on Unsplash

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4. Everyone Would Expect You To Be Perfect

Sadly, being such a public role model comes with a level of perfection that's impossible to live up to. People admire superheroes, but that admiration can quickly transform into criticism when dealing with a loss. Every decision you make is always analyzed, critiqued, and compared to what others think should've been done.

1781209382d989fa0291e4e67ec145ee4ead0af181c2bc727e.jpegVitaly Gariev on Pexels

5. You'd Constantly Be Physically Exhausted

It doesn't matter if you have super strength or super powers, being in difficult battles still means your body is constantly taking a beating. Fighting villains, lifting heavy objects, and recovering from bad injuries will all take a physical toll. Not to mention, spontaneous emergencies basically guarantee a messy sleep schedule.

17812095707043491bbf6eb3e1f76ff5eb9ad4c5162934219c.jpgShane on Unsplash

6. Your Relationships Would Suffer

Keeping people safe often means keeping secrets, and secrets as we know, only damage trust. Friends and family might feel ignored, lied to, or pushed away if you can't explain where you’ve been. Don't even mention romantic relationships, which would be especially difficult because danger follows you home. 

178120965455e5b26bd3e7d62c47bfcffec394cd0ed5d62d22.jpgAnthony Tran on Unsplash

7. You'd Be Responsible For Too Much

As a superhero, one single choice you make could affect entire neighborhoods, cities, or even the world. That kind of responsibility is way too much to carry on your shoulders every single day. You'll never be able to get the thought out of your head that you might've made a wrong call.

178120982992f37acadafb09f249f819a1198d0d9bd5c7bd9c.jpgNik Shuliahin 💛💙 on Unsplash

8. Legal Trouble Would Follow You Around

Being a superhero and stopping villains sounds fun until you think about the property damage, evidence rules, and civil rights aspect of it all. That's one thing superhero films never show you! If you knocked down a wall, chased someone across rooftops, or restrained a suspect, lawyers would have plenty of questions. 

17812099657fc6e3bad9315594d28ad3e40894053106f5897c.jpgTingey Injury Law Firm on Unsplash

9. Your Home Wouldn't Feel Safe

Homes are supposed to be our comfort spots that allow us to unwind and destress. But if you're a superhero, there's no such thing as a "safe space." Villains tend to target the people and places superheroes care about most, which means you can never relax.

1781210040e670c41a6148b96886b11cb3e550154d54be4e5d.jpgYosi Prihantoro on Unsplash

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10. You'd Become A Public Symbol

Once people see you as a superhero, you might as well say goodbye to your regular old self. Supporters would project hopes onto you, while critics would project fears and frustrations. Every little thing from your costume to your words and actions could be turned into slogans, arguments, or merchandise for the general public.

1781210177d147c04a63b4fc76c172ca812da61c4a64aaacf4.jpgOwen Cannon on Unsplash

11. Every Mistake Would Be Public

Superheroes are strong, but they're not without their flaws. Sometimes, they make honest mistakes, but the big difference is that the whole world is watching and will judge them for it. One clumsy landing or poorly worded comment could become a major controversy. You’d have to live with your failures being replayed again and again.

178121036636690d866e74b30942c3f72ff2cdada1ae0b381e.jpegRDNE Stock project on Pexels

12. Villains Would Study You Closely

Anyone trying to defeat you would spend time learning your habits, weaknesses, friends, and routines. That just means you can never afford to slip up. Even your favorite coffee shop or usual route home could become useful information for someone dangerous. 

1781210521e6c3fe27a2def448179d0e324d3ee8463740af55.jpgJoakim Nådell on Unsplash

13. You'd Have Trouble Keeping A Normal Job

If you had dreams of becoming a vet, a police officer, or a programmer, all of those aspirations have to go out the window. Holding down regular employment is close to impossible when you always have to disappear for emergencies. Let's just say it'll be hard to find a company that's willing to overlook all your absences.

17812107592591251bc179bcf945c7b47482ed501ea7b5c907.jpgKOBU Agency on Unsplash

14. Fame Would Get Annoying Fast

Not everyone is built for the limelight, but being a superhero means you have no choice. People would stop you for photos, favors, interviews, autographs, complaints, and personal requests. Who knew doing good came with a side of Hollywood?

17812108348a2a155e19d9584257f53df6896927de2be6afc8.jpgAlicia Steels on Unsplash

15. You'd Have To Make Impossible Choices

Not every superhero decision is always black or white. You'll likely have to face situations that put you in a tough spot, like choosing who to help first, which danger to stop, or even who to save. Those decisions could leave you feeling guilty even when you did your best. 

1781210945257a4c2412159a6d966bab29b90bcc0d163ea346.jpgJannes Jacobs on Unsplash

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16. Your Powers Could Be Inconvenient

People only think about the positives of having superpowers, but really, think about how difficult they'd be to control in day-to-day life. Super strength might break ordinary objects, heightened senses could make normal environments overwhelming, and flight might cause practical problems with weather or air traffic. 

1781211038955f47838fa20fad417cf84882b309d4b5d23c29.jpegPNW Production on Pexels

17. People Would Ask For Help Constantly

Once everyone knew you had powers, they’d probably ask for assistance with every possible problem (even if they were minor). Some requests would be serious, but we'd imagine plenty would be strange or completely unreasonable. 

1781211110e05aa259f530fa514dad7028690fe7ffe2b4d6b7.jpegGustavo Fring on Pexels

18. Insurance Companies Would Hate You

Even when you saved the day, the aftermath could involve broken windows, crushed cars, damaged roads, and destroyed buildings. Someone's going to have to pay for all of that, and let's just say insurance companies won't be thrilled. 

1781211159aad0e1728907c745289015d0c4073a861af5d5bd.jpgVlad Deep on Unsplash

19. Rest Would Feel Selfish

Superheroes need breaks too, but it'll feel hard to take a moment to relax when you know people around the world need help in some shape or manner. You could feel guilty for sleeping, relaxing, or enjoying yourself while emergencies were happening somewhere. 

1781211241fcdfd912657f6c9a894af6a71374bde26788859c.jpgSid Leigh on Unsplash

20. You'd Lose The Freedom To Be Ordinary

The biggest downside might be losing the simple comfort of an ordinary life. It's easy to dismiss this when the superhero life seems so glamorous and fun, but if you really think about it, your life would just be overwhelming. Being a superhero might be admirable, but it wouldn’t leave much room to just be human.

178121130354d375111e5591bada5b447ea4898d30a73d1dc2.jpgAli Kokab on Unsplash