Mental Health Lessons: THE HULK!
Look at this guy
Errbody knows his name…
I mean, I guess there are those of a certain age that might still confuse him with this guy -
but for the most part, we all know this dude.
My first introduction to the HULK (aka Bruce Banner) was this way -
He was pure.
He was homeless. Sometimes… well, most of the time, he needed a ride.
And sometimes,
he was Lou Ferrigno.
Regardless, The Hulk, as a character just works.
Interesting and relatable. We can all understand feeling like you’ve got some sort of beast living on the inside of you.
Then, came a lot more color with the cartoons.
They were going for more of a vibe like the comics.
The HULK became fun to me. No more hitchhiking, no more homelessness… he was on a path to making that “MARVEL MONEY!”
You can’t be that kind of troubled while making that kind of cash!
(of course you can, but that’s the thinking of most)
He became part of a cinematic team.
Still fun, but also destroying… pretty much everything. Lord knows how many people he killed/injured in his rage.
But, that’s ok, because he became rich and sexy —
and had a lil girlfriend
(briefly… I guess they were more like weird “bang-buddies”).
Then… Thanos turned him into a bitch.
“Smart-Hulk”
who just never did it for me.
He went from striking fear into the hearts of villains and gods to making bad cameos in horrible, low-budget television shows (*clearing throat — - “She-Hulk”* :)
So, what happened to the essence of hitchhiker, homeless Hulk?
The one we can all relate to? — — stumbling through life: confused, scared, and at times making a mess of things, but still keeping it moving.
Where did he go? — I can’t answer that question, but I would LOVE if Marvel brought THAT Hulk back.
What mental health lessons can we learn from THAT Hulk? —
#1 — Self-Awareness — -
Can self-awareness be taught?
I don’t have a solid answer for that question, BUT allow me to take a crack at a possible way:
Making a habit of pausing to reflect. I know, that sounds like some hippie bs, right?? — it might be, but I also might be onto something.
Taking time to reflect on how you’re feeling and more importantly how your actions are impacting others.
“Don’t make me angry. You won’t like me when I’m angry.”
That’s Bruce looking out for the people around him.
If reflecting becomes a habit, then perhaps the person who lacks self-awareness may gain some.
#2 — Comfortable Jeans — — —
Look, I am NOT a mental health expert, but I feel like comfort aides toward a sound mind.
#3 — Service — —
Every episode we’d find Bruce putting himself in positions to help other people (and so Saving The Day:)
He was always digging or painting or moving or constructing or sweeping. You never knew how long Bruce was going to stick around, but you could always bet on him being somewhere in service to others.
There’s something about willful service to others that brings calmness to one’s soul.
Bruce might be more of a hero than the Hulk.
Take a page out of old school Bruce’s book, and do what you can to tame your “beast”, without… getting weird :)
