Heroes and Villains and Problem Solving

Solving problems seems to be humanity’s greatest evolutionary key. We are the best at it. Better than any other species so far. And some of the most revered problem solvers have taken great inspiration from comic books. From heroes and villains. These have been some of the most iconic archetypes of pop culture and cinema. But what makes them so inspiring for problem solvers?

Some people can only be good....

Heroes play by the book. They follow the rules and encourage everyone to get along. They use the sum of collective resources of all participants to achieve a common goal. They encourage, lead and are looked up to. They are creative in a crunch, but often their goals and problems are generally straightforward (to stop the villain). Heroes are collaborative and will engage in deep and meaningful relationships with others. They often get waylaid with minor quests and missions, helping whoever they come across. 

Shoot the good guy, pretty sweet plan

Villains are creative, crafty and wild. They have lofty ambitions and can change plans or pivot as they feel. They lead armies of underlings and engage in purely transactional relationships. They get as much as they can from others, anything that will help further their individual plans. Villains are rule breakers and will do anything to achieve victory. They find it hard to relate or empathize with others and are extremely outcome-driven.

Yin and Yang, perfectly balanced

I believe most great problem solvers use tools out of both the hero and the villains toolkit. They know when to be transactional and when to build deeper connections. They know if a problem requires political manoeuvring or swift force. When stuck on a problem, it can be useful to look at it from a different perspective. How would a hero empathize with people and come to a win-win solution? What would a villain do to overcome whatever meaningless obstacle is in the way of the master plan? Whatever stereotype you belong to when problem solving, always remember that villains have more fun, but heroes sleep better at night.