I’m slowly recovering from food poisoning. My five-year-old daughter had it too, so we spent a weekend at home. At one point I asked what she wanted to watch.

Her immediate, enthusiastic answer: “Either Supergirls or Supercats.”

It struck me. At five, she already looks up to superhuman characters. Because I study chronic overload, I kept thinking:

Upside: inspiration, imagination, courage.

Trap: the belief I can be loved, admired, and valuable only if I perform like a superhero.

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A few decades ago, superheroes were less ubiquitous. Today they’re everywhere — a cultural shift that can make super-performance feel like the baseline. Later, when our rhythm is “only” human — when we need rest, recovery, limits — we can feel insufficient.

I often see this with clients: on their self-worth scale, “good” in the human range barely counts. It can feel as if only superhuman is acceptable. The question becomes: How can I do everything I do, add more, and feel better?

The environment reinforces it. Many organizations incentivize constant outperformance. Learning platforms and coaching programs often promise to unlock your “superpowers”; far fewer teach how to sustain capacity or recover from that pace.

I’m not just a critic. Motivation from “superpowers” has value. The key is mindfulness of the sweet spot: too much “normal” risks stagnation; too much superhuman mode breeds chronic tension, emptiness, and loss of meaning — the familiar signs of chronic overload.

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