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It was a Thursday night. I had just finished watching The Mummy Returns and then The Mummy (am I the only one who likes watching that series out of order?).
The Freevee TV app initiated playback of the movie Happy Feet without user input. I decided to pull an all-nighter and watch it for background noise. While I wrote this, I enjoyed the perks of unemployment and spent my time as I wanted. Before I knew it, I had written a blog post about this movie and its themes. They relate to society's acceptance of "different" people. Taking action against the crowd's monopoly. Cultivating your gifts, even if it's outside of the norm in your community. Let's analyze info, not accept propaganda. We should reach our conclusions as we lead our lives. Today, I'll share some views. They will help you take a stand against groupthink and hone your superpower.
If you havenāt watched Happy Feet or need a refresher, here are some of the main characters:
Mumbleāāāthe main character in the movie, whose talent is dancing.
The elders (the older penguins) wanted to sing. They opposed new customs.
GloriaāāāMumbleās crush, who sings well
The new amigosāāāa group of penguins from a different tribe who donāt sing; they collect items.
Parental influence on identity.
Our parents and our environment shape our identities, beliefs, and personalities.
Parents and others in our early years can shame us if we're different from what they know. This is to ensure we fit their scope of what is normal in the family clan.
In the movie, dancing was Mumbleās natural talent. But his tribe of penguins only sings to their gods for an increased food harvest.
His Papa was hella critical of Mumbleās dancing. I suspect it was because, deep down, he knew he might be responsible for Mumble being different. I suspect he felt responsible for Mumble's differences. I say this because, at the movie's start, the mother penguins go to get food. They leave the baby egg with the fathers to hibernate in the winter. Papa caused the penguin egg, with Mumble inside, to drop in the winter. This may have led to Mumble's defects.
This theme illustrates how parents influence their children's acceptance of their uniqueness. Seeing Mumble dance was a chance for Papa and Mumble to bond by his Papa affirming him. Instead of shaming him for dancing, it would help. Say, hey, you know what? My son is different. He was in that egg that I dropped, so he was nurtured differently than the others. His skills will be different. So we have to grow to love and accept Mumble as he is.
It made me think. Sometimes, parents criticize us for traits we inherited from them. Almost as if they see a part of themselves in you. The Papa can't dance. But, he caused Mumble's poor, nurturing environment. Because he wasnāt paying attention, he dropped the egg. Some traits aren't inherited from our parents. Instead, environmental factors may affect how a child is born and how they think. The parents who bring us into the world have a direct impact on who we are.
The quicker we accept that the quicker we can move forward. If you love your parents and accept their flaws, know this: their actions before, during, and after your birth will affect you. You'll see it in your behavior. For example, letās say that a set of parents faced criticism for being sensitive when they were young. So now, when they see their child becoming upset at the slightest things, they may shame the child for it. That's what they know to do due to their experiences.
But they made you. So, instead of criticizing, they should help nurture your talent. Even if itās different from what they expected or hoped for. Who knows? That sensitivity may be an asset in careers requiring emotional intelligence.
If we shame younger relatives for being different, they may, in turn, shame others. Making each generation kinder and more considerate of others one step at a time. Future policies will reflect this kindness.
Being unique is not a crime. Donāt let others stop your shine!
In the movie, Mumble grows up a bit out of step with fellow students in his graduate class. His primary skill is dancing. All courses aim to find and improve the students' singing voices. Each student has a unique singing voice, and the movie did a great job illustrating this concept. Some of the penguins sang hip-hop influences, R&B, and pop. This was a lot of fun. It kept me awake. Remember, I was unemployed and pulling an all-nighter.
When Mumble tried to sing, his voice was croaky and not pleasant to hear. Everybody wanted him to stop as soon as he started. The other students and the teachers had declared that something was wrong with him.
But sometimes, what society sees as 'wrong' is right for your journey in life.
Taking the first leap, even if no one will take it with you
Being different can lead to new experiences. While others hesitate to change, you will leap!
At the young penguin's graduation, everyone stood atop a mountain. They waited anxiously to jump into the water, the last step of the ritual. Like when we graduate, we move the tassle to the other side of our graduation cap and toss the cap in the sky! Mumble slid off the cliff into the water. So the other penguins were still at the top all looking over like, Iām not about to jump over! They then waited to see if he had hurt himself or drowned. He jumped up in the water, saying, "Whatcha waiting for?" Then, the other penguins followed suit!
(You must be the first to leap. Groupthink can limit your experiences.)
Meeting your tribe of āfreaksā who appreciate your idiosyncrasies.
On Mumbleās adventure away from his home tribe, he ran into penguins from another tribe, "the new amigos."
The new penguins complimented his dancing. Can you imagine how validating that was for Mumble? People had told him all his life that his dancing was wrong and weird.
I loved these new penguins. They uplifted him several times in the movie! Their influence boosted his confidence. It gave him the courage to save his tribe later in the movie.
Hereās another example of a conversation in which the amigos praise their new friend, Mumble:
The new Amigos Penguin group:
āYou show 'em what you've got. Either you've got it or you don't. And the amigos? We've got it!"
Mumble: "You think I can get some of it?"
The new amigos: "Hombre, you got so much already, you dangeroussss baby! With moves like yours, you must have all the ladies wanting you!"
Example of his friends going with the flow and embracing his clumsiness:
On their journey, Mumble falls down a hill. They don't laugh or judge him. Instead, they say, "Man, this guy is so accidentally cool!" Then they jumped and slid down the hill, following his lead and then they went on to have a good time.
As we improve ourselves and pursue our dreams, it's vital to find a community. It should inspire, motivate, and accept you. It makes a world of difference. It's hard to pursue your dreams without some positive support.
Are you open to the future if it looks different from what you envisioned?
Photo by Joseph Corl on Unsplash
Mumble came back after one of his adventures, looking to find out why their supply of food wasnāt coming in as hefty as it used to. He told the people about the power of dancing and how doing it could get the attention of the zoo researchers who could help them with their food supply.
The elders were disgracing the people when they came together to dance and try the new way of living. They could see that the people were hungry and that they needed food, but wanted to keep singing to their Gods and believing that would change the famine.
(Sometimes older people from generations ago canāt always see the vision for the future because they are blinded by their conditioned way of living.)
Writing this during a US election year, and seeing how the prices of basic items have risen, the living costs are high, the unstable job market with companies resistant towards going fully remote, and the increasing amount of homelessness in the ārichest countryā makes me think of actions we can do to change our main way of living and how there are people at the top, who are financially incentivized to keep things plunging downwards due to outdated ways of thinking how we can operate as a culture.
Are you open to the future if it looks different from what you envisioned?
Mumble returned from an adventure with the new amigos. He wanted to know why his home tribeās food supply was not as good as it had been before he left. He told the people what he had learned from his adventure. Dancing could get the zoo researchers' attention. They could help with their food supply.
The elders were disgracing the penguins. They danced to try Mumble's new way of living. They could see the people were hungry and needed food. But they wanted to keep singing to their gods, hoping it would end the famine.
(Hereās a crazy idea. If what you are doing isn't working, why not try a new approach? It might help your situation.)
(Older people from generations ago may not trust the future vision. Their old ways of living blind them to the possibilities. That doesnāt have to be viewed as something negative because we all are going to get older thatās the cycle of life. We should heed their wisdom. But while seeking new outcomes as we move forward we have to value progress over stagnation.)
"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."
Religion can be a tool for mind control. If you cannot question it and must follow it without thinking, it can be dangerous.
Mumble asks questions and has odd theories. They go against his tribe's accepted views. He was willing to ask things that didn't make sense. No one had asked them before. The elders reverted to their ways, ignoring his questions.
Some people in your religion or community may not respond well to your questions. They want to maintain the status quo. Or, they feel satisfied with their shallow understanding of a problem. They may feel embarrassed for not digging deeper. So, they'll dig in their heels to prove you wrong.
The elders blamed Mumble's birth for a famine that hit after he graduated. When Mumble challenged them, they said, "What else could cause food scarcity?" As if the only thing that could cause a phenomenon such as that would be due to someone being born as a dancer, not a singer. Many things could have caused the food scarcity. You need to be curious and willing to research other causes. That is, if your goal is to solve a problem. Not to stay stuck in misery, complaining about a situation you won't change.
Mumble blamed a distant, alien-like domino effect he saw on his adventures leaving the penguin tribe. The elder penguins argued against this, not believing it caused the famine.
Also, in this fight, the elder slapped an amigo and called him vermin. They were all penguins. Sound familiar? Arenāt we all human but choose to classify ourselves by race, social class, etc.?
Group thinking, as in a religion or class system, can be dangerous. It can blind you to others' humanity. You put yourself on a pedestal and look down on people who donāt look like you or donāt believe what you believe. We all came into this world the same and will leave it in death. We should treat everyone with equal respect.
In the movie there was an example of a person devoted to a religion that doesnāt allow questioning is:
In the New Amigos Tribe, they all revered a god-like figure named Lovelace. They gathered random items and gave them to Lovelace. In return, he answered their questions. The penguins usually wait in line to ask him a question. Lovelace then puts on a show and provides them with an answer that he is inventing at the moment.
The Lovelace guy claimed to have all the answers for his tribe members. But he got offended when the new amigos introduced him to Mumble. Mumble then asked him a question he couldn't answer about the food famine. Lovelace then shut down the line service and went into hiding. Doesnāt that sound familiar? like some of the religions we know?
In two tribes, the leaders forbade questioning. This stifled problem-solving and created a dependence on religion among the people.
Let's respect our beliefs, but also treat others with an open mind. If your religion urges you to look down on others and not ask questions, it may be time to reconsider it.
I donāt want to shake the table too much, but we gotta keep it 100!
Thinking outside the box can, at first, be uncomfortable for some.
Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash
In the movie, the penguins in Mumble's tribe decide to rebel against the elders and try something new. The elders warned, "Dissent leads to division... division leads us to doom."
(The elders were being so dramatic and thinking negatively. I know some people like that, but I won't name them. They always assume the worst in every situation. Sometimes they can give that energy to us and spread it over our plans and our dreams but you can NOT let that happen. Isnāt that like some of the people in charge when you present an alternative option to the way of doing things? Think about the last time you suggested a solution at your job. Was it well received? Or was it immediately turned down? Was the idea approached with curiosity or automatic disdain?)
Division in thought processes can lead us to better outcomes. Look at the worldās history. Without different thinking to oppose Hitler and the KKK, we would live in a VERY different world. Who knows if I'd be alive to write this?
Even outside of race, consider this: We have airplanes, Netflix, and electricity. These are all benefits from innovators who thought against the crowd.
Being yourself can save your life!
Mumble showed bravery throughout the movie.
He went to save Lovelace from killer whales. It would have been safer to stay away and watch him die.
He volunteered to find out who was eating his tribe's fish and how this related to the "aliens," a.k.a. humans.
His friends didn't want to go any farther after their narrow escape from the killer whales. That's understandable!
But Mumble decided to go anyway.
(Sometimes being fearless looks like craziness at first. But, without courage, your dreams will remain unrealized. Embrace the fear and do it scaredā¦ as long as you do it!)
Being yourself can save your life!
The dancing talent for which others ridiculed him as he grew up ended up saving his life and saving his loved ones. After his adventure saving Lovelace from the killer whales, the zoo captured Mumble and put him in their zoo. The visitors loved his dancing. He became the zoo's favorite. This led to the humans researching him and his penguin type, aiming at finding his birthplace. The researchers returned him there and saved his people from starvation.
So, by not being yourself, you are threatening the vitality of your life. You can follow society's rules and stay small to fit in. You can avoid challenges. But, is that a life worth living? I donāt think so. But Iāll leave that up to you to decide for yourself.
In conclusion:
So I like to read Reddit reviews while watching movies I like. Itās fun when a commenter points out something you didnāt notice or sums up the movie in a unique way.
A Reddit commenter said, āWhat sets you apart is your superpower."
If you feel different from your family or coworkers, don't assume something is wrong with you. You don't have to fit in with their views. Instead, reframe it. Affirm that this is the beauty of being human. Each of us has experiences, skills, mindsets, and innate gifts that make us superhuman!
You can have friends and a community. But, improve yourself to enhance the group's potential.
To stick with movie examples, in the Marvel Universe, the Avengers are superheroes. They fight villains and save the world. Each Avenger possesses extraordinary power. They each bring something different to the table at the Stark Tower. Captain America doesnāt think like Iron Man because they have lived in different eras! (Literally.) It doesnāt mean that either person is wrong. It can improve the group's effort to save the universe. Their unique views will make them consider their actions from all angles.
Iāll leave you with five things to reflect on. Remember them when you're nervous about being different from those around you.
1) Identify your superpower and never forget it!
2) Always challenge your tribe's status quo. It keeps things fresh and new. Nobody likes stale fruit; we enjoy our fruit fresh and tasty!
3) Question everything taught to you. Especially beware of defensiveness and shame after questioning. This may be a sign that you need to question more!
4) Find your soul tribe. They will encourage you to dance to your tune, not force you to dance to theirs.
5) Reflect on a time when you embraced your uniquenessāhow did it change your perspective? What was your mood that day? Were you loving yourself? Were you thinking positively? Were you excited?
I feel that way when I embrace, not shame, myself. I'm not a singer like the penguin tribe, 'one of the clan.' I'm a dancer, dancing to my tune like Mumble!
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