Finding Meaning in The Incredibles

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What sustains people through difficult times is a sense of meaning, not happiness or wealth. In The Incredibles, Bob had to learn to find the same level of meaning in being a husband and father as he did in being a superhero. How do you find meaning in your life?

[@VKDante]

The incredibles is the Fantastic 4 movie we deserve.

[@Neopulse00]

Man, a more perfect phrase than that is impossible

[@livtheolive3888]

True true violet dash and mr incredible and elastic girl

[@DavidSilva-mn4dz]

I agree but one day we will have the Super Family we need.

[@alienboy1322]

Venkatesh K Wrong wrong wrong

[@NotQuiteFirst]

"Deserve"?

[@cobaltprime9467]

This reminds me of a quote from transformers. “We must never lose sight of the fact that upon this earth we are titans. And such power must be used wisely.” -Optimus Prime

[@MatthewOfGilead]

A good contrast to the 'everyone is special so no one is' is in My Hero Academia if you care to watch it. Even if everyone has a power, there will still be those who rise above. And even if people have great powers, they can still be left behind. It is your outlook and work ethic that sets you apart.

[@kerbonaut2059]

MatthewOfGilead Finally, this happens.

[@savagetv6460]

one flaw in your comment is that in My Hero Academia, not all powers are great. Most of the superpowers are useless and have no function for hero work.

[@MM-xn6tn]

One of the first lines in the series is, "It's an unfortunate truth that not all men are created equal."

[@longtyler48]

Mirios quirk was awful when he is first developing it. He made it incredibly powerful by working his ass off and learning how to use it perfectly.

[@jonathacirilo5745]

@@savagetv6460 hero work is not the only work that can be done with powers tho. some useless powers could easily be usefull on the right places.

[@davidkonevky7372]

A character that also reinforces this thought even without having superpowers is Edna Mode. She had a special talent that drove her into becoming one of the best in her craft, and when heroes became illegal, she lost what once made her feel complete, she didn't have a canvas to paint on. She had to settle for fashion shows and supermodels, but she was never satisfied because she knew it wasn't her full potential.

[@shanweeboy]

Man, I hated participation trophies as a kid. They had the opposite effect on me. It was a physical reminder that I failed.

[@simonebulletti5092]

Syndrome never stopped and looked for meaning in HIS life. He never take into account what makes him "incredible" in his own way. That's because he lives in a world in which superpowers are considered the only thing that can make one special, and that's a natural tendency to conformity that society has. He became a villain because nobody teaches him to accept himself. And this is something powerful and relatable for lots of people. That's what makes him a fantastic villain: you live every day on your skin the reasons that push him over to the dark side. I would have actually loved a path to redeption and growth for this character.

[@WideMouth]

Evil’s most common form is misguided virtue.

[@savagetv6460]

That's because Syndrome couldn't let go of his grudge against Mr. Incredible. He worshiped him which is what many people did with historic figures and when his vision was broken it turned him into a villain with an obsession for symbolic revenge against superheroes as a whole

[@FirebirdPhoenix87]

@@WideMouth That's the wisest quote I've haven't heard in a long time. :)

[@jonathacirilo5745]

idk, i liked him too but i think he was too far gone to have any decent character redeption.

[@Kitkat-986]

I disagree. Syndrome was incredible, his intellect and drive to succeed made him wealthy and allowed him to create superpowers of his own. He fully utilized his own unique talents, he simply wasted them on something as petty as revenge. I was always more inspired by Syndrome's will to succeed than by any other character's struggle in the story.

[@kristenskousen4161]

Out of Frame is possibly the most beautiful series of videos I've ever seen on KZbin. Brings a tear to my eye. Please keep this going!

[@alienboy1322]

@Dragon the Great Don't forget, Out Of Frame also makes bullshit claims about Zootopia on how it's secretly brainwashing children on obeying authority and an absolute dumpster fire of a video on befriending racist retards.

[@renewincelestian5007]

@@alienboy1322 what? Can you explain. Your. Statement?

[@alienboy1322]

@@renewincelestian5007 It doesn't matter.

[@seand.g423]

@@alienboy1322 dude, let's be honest. It's 2020. The name of the damn _channel_ probably should have been the first fucking clue. Especially after Thoughty2 went Redpill...

[@jonathacirilo5745]

@@alienboy1322 i don't always agree with what is said on these videos, but i felt like you're the one saying bs here. context matters, did he really said these things who are you just speaking out of your ass. also, even if he did say these things, is he actually wrong?

[@amfcapone]

A similar message appears in Spider-Man 1, the Green Goblin comments that people love to raise individuals above themselves, and then to see them fail, die trying. We raise them up and then bring them down.

[@K1ng1995]

I think that point could've been more explored in Captain America Civil War, like in the first Avengers movie we see people cheering for The Avengers for saving New York, but maybe before Lagos we see a montage of how the world is starting to be more critical of them. How people are really getting sick of their homes, businesses and lives upturned by them. How after Age of Ultron there's a massive refugee crisis since the people of Sokovia no longer have a home. Going back to what you said about we raise individuals above ourselves we forget that these individuals are human to, they make mistakes. But what do we do when that person's mistake causes us to lose our jobs, homes, and loved ones?

[@theirongiants]

Bob Parr's character arc is one of the best one I have seen from Pixar. Bob is just a man reminiscing about his "glory days" and while being on this journey of almost a mid-life crisis he learns to be a man. A man who's there for the family. A man wanting something fantastical finding something fantastical and then finally learning to be a true man is just really good character writing.

[@dudeinco]

Powerful stuff. Personal responsibility for one's own life and success is a rare message these days, and because it involves hard work, one that no one wants to hear.

[@dudeinco]

@Sebo Kron Celebrity success isn't typically forged in "hard work," but rather luck/situational circumstance. Personal responsibility for outcome was a typical trope at one point, but we live in an age where individuals believe society owes them success. Living wages, and "wage gaps" are all about being given something you didn't earn. Nike states "just do it," but that tagline came about long before the age of entitlement... And what did Kapernick "earn" exactly?

[@neonbunnies9596]

@@dudeinco money comes from money, power comes from power. The important question is how to ensure that those who have no power or money get their share

[@majorpay5058]

@@neonbunnies9596 Get a job and work for it.

[@neonbunnies9596]

@@majorpay5058 My goodness, why didn't poor people think of that?

[@majorpay5058]

@@neonbunnies9596 Yeah, I don't know... Because it totally isn't like at one point in my life, I had nothing, couldn't pay the bills, was raising a child on my own, had to claim bankruptcy ,and through sheer determination and willpower, pulled myself out of it, and now I want for nothing? I mean, it's not like we live in the land of opportunity, or whatever, and you can choose to better yourself, or you can choose to become a victim, right?

[@cloudwolf3972]

I love your Out of Frame videos, Sean. Keep up this INCREDIBLE work.

[@nathanielster]

The point you make about Mr. I struggling to intigrate being a father and husband into being a superhero is a serious issue for our society. We need more stories of adventurous families. Anyhow, great thoughts...keep me coming!

[@devinmould3490]

Currently, I'm in my first semester of film school and also want to pursue music making in the hope's of bringing those two things together. There have been times where I started questioning myself in my career path, and whether or not it was worthwhile compared to something else. But, I realized that the only thing that I could ever work hard at were the things I loved, that being film and music. This truely resonated with me, and made me realize that everyone can change the world by doing what they love to do. Thank you ❤

[@FEEonline]

Keep at it :)

[@devinmould3490]

@@FEEonline thank you 😊

[@frakspikes2619]

also its awsome that all the kids have a name naturally linked to their powers like: dash - super speed violet - ultra violet (the "invisible" light) and jack-jack - a managerie of super powers, making him a jack-of-all-trades

[@spencergsmith]

Not only that, but each character’s powers are meant to be reflective of their stage in life and role in the family: Mr. Incredible’s strength - fathers are often seen as the strong pillar of their family Elastigirl’s stretching - mothers are constantly being “stretched” in every direction by all of their various responsibilities Violet’s invisibility - many teenage girls feel awkward at this stage in their life and wish they were metaphorically invisible Dash’s speed - young boys are full of chaotic energy, sometimes even to the point of being destructive Jack-Jack’s various abilities - babies are the epitome of undeveloped potential; no one knows who or what they might eventually become

[@projectjt3149]

To add to that, can we talk about their last name - Parr? As in, they are trying to live "on par" with everyone else?

[@Chujutsu]

Reminds me of how I have made software tools that my peers at work have praised for how convenient it has made their jobs. It also reminds me of how I have taken the task of teaching my colleagues at work how to code so they could make their own tools Enriching the lives of others has given my own meaning. Even funnier is that I had hated teaching others when I was still in school, but I had learned when I became a professional that it was something that I could do. Coding and teaching were things that were uniquely mine in my department at work, and I can only hope that I have not squandered my blessings

[@projectjt3149]

Say, it's a bit off-tangent, but what did you think of "Incredibles 2"? It touches quite a bit on the dynamic between the inventor and the seller/entrepreneur, but it looks like you managed to be both. (little moreso on the inventor side)

[@ashleypenn7845]

That final notion is Biblical, you know. "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might."

[@HeIsAnAli]

Cue some wise-guy making a masturbation joke in 3, 2, 1...

[@sethpadakandla2797]

That’s what he said

[@zaidnava3728]

@@HeIsAnAli NNN

[@kestimpy]

I don't care about the bible while watching a kids movie. I'm pretty sure there would be a witch hunt if this happened in biblical times.

[@ashleypenn7845]

@@kestimpy did you know, if it doesn't apply to you, you could just keep scrolling? I was talking about the principle of doing everything to the best of your ability. Not actually being a super hero.

[@StevenRosario2025]

I discovered this channel maybe two days ago and this one resonated with me the most. I've been binging since. As an alumnus of drum corps, with a music ed degree, and as a high school band teacher, this pushes me follow my dream EVEN MORE especially given our time, and to work for it even more.

[@friendlysociopath6136]

Everytime i start to think that I'm Good at something, i always met with a person that is much better and also much younger than me.

[@latioswarshowdown1202]

Without god we are all nothing that doesnt your hard work has no value it has even if its less than others

[@cesardonlucas955]

You are underrated my friend. I've been watching your vids back to back and I enjoy it greatly.

[@Kitkat-986]

Syndrome was my hero as a kid. He fully realizes his own abilities in the same world where standing out is often forbidden. He became fabulously rich and successful off of his own talents and even gave himself superpowers. Not only that, he was willing to empower others by sharing his gifts with the world. He was an entrepreneur and a stunning success story, only brought down by his toxic obsession with revenge.

[@bradley5210]

The plane scene with the mom and the kids gets one of the biggest emotional reactions out of me every time I see it.

[@r.pmahoney5214]

I’m a high school student who really enjoys target shooting and studying the history of firearms development. Being a resident of the US, you can probably see why this makes it difficult to follow the advice you give in this video. The one thing I’m genuinely good at, and the one thing I genuinely derive unfaltering joy from, immediately brands me as being a threat by its very nature and connotations. So now what?

[@triplea657aaa]

"Meaning is a jumper that each of us must knit ourselves" --Exurb1a

[@christophersnedeker2065]

But where did we get the wool?

[@AshnSilvercorp]

definitely one of the best videos I've seen anywhere on KZbin for a while. The first 60 seconds grabbed me alot, especially as a person who also wants to write music and create stories.

[@flashgamer1275]

I am a Music Business major and Film Studies minor. I'm an avid film score nerd and percussionist! Movies, film, film scores, and video games are what drive my ambitions! Thanks for the video!

[@tasiaalex9169]

I almost cried and I really needed this. I'm 20. Didn't have a chance to go to college. And I have spiritual gifts. One is called synesthesia. I didn't know what to do with it or the other gifts but this video gives me hope. Thank you! And good luck on your journey!!

[@Boristien405]

This is probably my favorite series next to Seamus's animations; keep up the great content!

[@nikjs]

Sean, I love all your Out of Frame videos. Your work is a masterpiece.

[@TheMilitantHorse]

The Incredibles is a severely deep film that is super easy to overlook because it's a Pixar film.

[@Erik-mz1ji]

This was a wonderful video, beyond just letting me appreciate the music of the movie, it pushed all the nostalgia buttons that make a video wonderful. Thank you for spreading positivity, and have a wonderful day

[@ArcherWarhound]

Gosh darn it! It's *incredible* just how well done each of these videos is. Even when I (rarely) disagree with your take on a film or your broader philosophical point I always enjoy watching these because it's clear you put so much thought into them and they are so skillfully written and edited. Mad props, bro: you got mad skills.

[@Donovaneagle2098]

Its interesting to see a video that covers the incredibles but doesn't talk about its Atlas Shrugged parallels and you did a good job explaining yourself. That said, I disagree with you about the line about vilifying those who make the things that make our lives better, since, despite being pro capitalist myself, corporations can be outright awful. Look at the video game industry, or the oil companies trying to dig up native American burial grounds to insert an oil pipeline that will be regulated by safety standards that aren't set by any kind of government agency, which has resulted in multiple oil spills and an oil spill in that particular area would end up affecting the entire Midwest United States because the oil travels under crucial, large rivers. Additionally, while I agree with you that exceptional talent should be celebrated and that we need to cease celebrating 'nothing' accomplishments, there's an upper limit to that. Look at Japan, a country which has no cultural idiom that means 'good luck', the closest instead being a phrase that means 'do well'. Thats good in theory but there are several cases of people in Japan taking this sentiment to far. After all, 'worked themselves to death' is a viable thing to have listed on your death certificate in Japan because of how common an occurrence it can be. Nier Automata is an excellent critique of this 'do well' attitude. Check out the video by Superbunnyhop for more about that particular subject.

[@atlasmonkeyleon]

How is the video game industry bad? I agree about the rest, but I don't really get why you would think that.

[@Donovaneagle2098]

@@atlasmonkeyleon the video game industry is famous for being poorly regulated and making bad decisions. For instance EA has a habit of buying game companies, making them make games with unpopular decisions or unethical business practices, then when the public gets angry or doesnt buy the game, EA shuts the game developer down, like it did with Dead Space creator Visceral Games, and like its probably going to do with Bioware if Anthem isnt a success. EA also got backlash for taking loot boxes, which borrow elements from gambling and experts say can be just as addicting, and trying to make it so you had to buy loot boxes to get better gear, making the player potentially addicted to gambling all for more profit on top of the profit they made from selling the game. Multiple countries, along with several US states have pushed to make lootboxes llegal, and EA tries tp skirt thpse new laws. And thats just one game publisher. Look up Jim Sterling's most recent videos about Telltale games for other examples, especially his video "Look after your workers or get out of games"

[@atlasmonkeyleon]

Okay, I see what you mean.

[@ZerogunRivale]

The thing is, those are usually the exception and not the rule. Yes, EA, Konami, and Ubisoft are terrible, but 85-90% of developers are fine and their mistakes aren't as corrupt. I don't think the idea of not vilifying those who make the world better doesn't mean we can't go after those who are truly corrupt. They are being viified for corruption, not for how they make the world a better place. Plus, it's part of capitalism to choose to take our money elsewhere when we dislike a business and that is always the best thing to do.

[@Donovaneagle2098]

@@ZerogunRivale yet the most corrupt publishers make the most popular games, more often than not. WB is an awful shit show and it owns both the Batman and Lord of the Rings IPs. Activision Blizzard has a patent on a process of matchmaking games which pairs you against players with better gear than you and after they kick your ass the game will try and sell you the same gear that just just killed you through microtransactions. EA buys up developers, makes them make games with unpopular decisions, then when there's backlash the developer, who didnt want to put that contraversial stuff in the game, has to take the blame, and get closed down. EA has done this 14 times now, and they have sole rights to the Star Wars IP. Namco Bandai for years had a patent on the idea of putting minigames and loading screens, which they refused to budge on. It owns Dark Souls. Chances are you like games made by at least one of those publishers. Did you speak with your wallet to them? Edit: id also like to add that there have been a huge number of cases that exhibit that most developers force their employees to work in awful conditions. Just look at Telltale games and the stories that followed its closure.

[@freesk8]

Much wisdom in this video! Great job!

[@darthhodges]

One thing you didn't say but clearly meant was "don't exclusively pursue what you love but figure out what you're actually good at." Loving what you do doesn't automatically make you good at it.

[@hrithikmta491]

You have certainly earned the title to be one of the most thought provoking content creator on youtube, I hope someday we can sit together and have long talks on these topics !

[@jamespriest7328]

I love you guys, I use ur videos to put down my friends progressive agreements. So thanks.

[@therainenetwork3510]

Thank you for making this video. This summarizes exactly why I like this movie so much

[@VincoMalus]

Amazing analysis/&dissection👏🏿🙏🏿

[@Kalisfusdi4653]

This movie is my favorite movie. Thank you for making a video about it.

[@dika_hilman]

I used to study in a medical school and I really hated it! Just like Bob after quitted being a superhero, I was trapped in the world that didn't satsify me. I used to love the theatrical art, literature, and psychology. I felt dumb and meanigless by leaving all of those things behind me. Bcs of that, I lost against life and graduated 2 years late from my original schedule... ...After graduating, I tried to accept my horrible life and saw it as 'fitting in'. I told myself that it wasn't always about my passion, just like Mrs. Incredible told Bob. But then one day, I had a rotation as a clerk in psychiatry rotation. Those 6 weeks change my life. I finally found my world and purpose. I wasn't that great in the subject, but I was so passionate about it! Since that, I knew what I think was meaningful. I wanted to be accompany people with mental health and destigmatize what people knew about psychiatry. I feel like I have a path to talk on now :)

[@benjackson103]

Great job on the video. Very well thought out. Nice work!

[@alexandernikttib]

Man soo good content! I really like ! Greetings from Vienna And the Musik in the background 👌

[@larrytchan]

4:17 This video's good, but I gotta nitpick here: when people protest big-shot companies, most of the time it’s not because they’re jealous of more successful people, but because they feel these corporations have done things wrong or unfair; often in ways that cause legitimate suffering. Governments can be stupid, but let’s not pretend corporations are any less capable of being incompetent, ignorant or immoral (nor are they any less capable of the opposite). They’re systems of different kinds, but still systems capable of flaws, and they need to be called out when necessary. Amazon and Tesla are no exception.

[@hikari9433]

You're right but what he said is probably not meant to be taken as a generality. The image of protests were used to illustrate people's opposition rather than discussing corporations misdeeds. I've seen tons of successful and famous people taking a lot of shots for mistakes whose people would've not be so outraged if it was the average dude or girl. Also it's true that people receive a lot of hate once they become successful. Just look at the paradox of our society : If someone wants to follow an unconventional path, meaning skipping college to go build a business, pursuing a carrier in acting or music, the first reactions they'll get is often reject, warnings or mockery. " you're going to waste your life, It's too hard, to risky, you're crazy, you're going to regret it, only 1% of people succeed in it, it never been done before, it's impossible, you're trippin" etc then once they dedicate themselves to this path they hear stuffs like : "you're working too hard, you have no life, you're going to burn out, you'll end up alone and miserable" and when it finally works out and the person become successful people refer to him/her as : "He/She had luck, cheat the system, took advantage of people, is gifted or has natural talent, doesn't care about the common people, doesn't know what it's like to really work, has the obligation to pay more to support us" etc

[@Epistemophilos]

The difference is that governments can continue to be immoral and incompetent forever because they have a de facto monopoly of violence. For example, they can always increase taxation or inflation even to cover the cost of devastating wars they initiate. Companies - in a free market - will tend to go under if they act incompetently or immorally (in the eyes of their customers) in a fraction of the degree that governments often do. Of course today we have the worst of both worlds - huge corporations manipulating governments to carry out terribly immoral and often incompetent actions with equally terrible consequences for society. This is an argument for less, not more, government.

[@coletrain5667]

"Governments can be stupid, but let’s not pretend corporations are any less capable of being incompetent, ignorant or immoral." That's where you're wrong honestly. The state is by far more culpable of such flaws, it's not even close. Even when corporations cause suffering, it is often only because they were enabled by the state in the first place.

[@atlas42185]

Indeed, incompetence is a human trait but the way society solves incompetence (and corruption) in the government and incompetence in the private sector are notably different. Even though we (sort of) elect our leaders and remove them when we are not pleased with their performance the chief cause behind poor governance remains: dysfunctional institutions. If incompetence and corruption are human traits, replacing the crooks with the "right people" without reforming the system that encourages corruption is at most a temporary solution. If the right people can't or won't take the necessary steps to bring accountability and efficacy back to the government it won't matter if they checked off a couple campaign promises. The institutions remain. When the government screws up it fundamentally remains in tact. The elected official might be gone but big business, labor unions, professional associations, and the bureaucrats all still have their tentacles everywhere pushing the next politician to make the same choices at the expense of the taxpayer. Unless they commit an actual crime politicians don't reap what they sowe. They take office, and maybe they do good here and there. But they usually just run off some sound bites, spend more money that we don't have, throw some of that at special interests groups, and milk human interest stories for PR points. Conversely, when a business (in relatively competitive markets) screws up and the public gets wind of it, either that business ceases to exist or it makes the necessary change to survive. At least part of the time businesses' have a financial incentive to offer value to their customers. The government is NEVER subject to that kind of accountability, because all that the incompetent, corrupt individuals in the government need to do is scream at congress every fiscal cycle and they get more money. There is no legal alternative to many government services. No competition, no accountability. Just my 2 cents.

[@rabidrabids5348]

@UmUrso Amarelado I don't really see a civilian population of any country with a modern military pulling a french revolution. It'd be hard to take on an Abrams with anything civilians have access to.

[@SHA4200]

I love the way you hit hit the nail on the head in your piece. I'm curious on your insight on a semi related hero story, "My Hero Academia".

[@KennyyD]

The Incredibles has been my favorite movie of all time since I was around 6. I used to think that I liked it for the pretty colors and cool story, but after your analysis I realized that it is even more than that. Thanks man, you rock!

[@Mauvilleich]

I loved this video, I can't believe you actually pointed out this culture of mediocrity that's still surrounding us, but comparing this video with your recent videos I can see the lack of this. There's so much PC nowadays that watching someone talking about that is refreshing. I don't know if you got my point.

[@jeggsonvohees2201]

Helen's incredible posterior is all the meaning I need.

A beautiful analysis and quite inspiring too!

[@AimlessTrek]

Thank you for spreading that message! To many people today believe we are all special!

[@MichaelEKaz]

Interesting. I hadn't thought of it before, but in many ways The Incredibles is a variant of The Fountainhead.

[@victorgastonnogueira8137]

Fantastic video! I shared in a lot of places! That message is what I really think it's the truth. Although I'm not very special because I have not accomplished much in life, I really don't want to be praised by only existing. Thank you very much for articulating those ideas and putting those in a great video!

[@michelmartins7602]

I'm from Brazil and I enjoy every video of your. Out of frame and the economic animations are the best

[@FEEonline]

Obrigado!

[@jlall4467]

I remember at school that if you got a question wrong you would get a red dot instead of a red X so that it wouldn't hurt your feelings

[@LucasCosta-io8vr]

It is so good to find some so well wrighted passionate contend about individualism

[@salted6422]

3:28 I *seriously* need to re-watch this movie because of that voice acting. I was playing Civilization while listening to this and I immediately came to see what this is all about, when I heard that "..no one will be".

[@LeviWritesBooks]

Well done producing a video essay which affirms my core drive to give the best I can give.

[@rujibuji458]

Fantastic work my friend

[@luizpaulo-qm5dc]

This videos are amazing.

[@tossacointoyourwitcherOriginal]

This reminds me of 2 polls done, they asked kids in high school and uni "do you think you are special" around 25% said yes in the 90s today around 85-90% said yes.

[@toxogandhi]

This kind of resonates with me in a special way. I grew up in rural Alabama, and, while some awesome people live there (many of my professors were fascinating people, since the usual university progressive takeover hadn't reached that school, but they were more thoughtful than the average Joe), the culture is... well, intelligence, referred to as "book smarts" with an often disparaging tone as an inferior mental trait to "common sense", meant in this way to expect everything to be intuitive in nature, was seen almost as an aberration, especially if you dared shamelessly let that trait shine, or, worse, showed it off out of spite, like I often did. To make things worse, expectations of conformity are high, meaning, the lowest common denominator. If you don't watch NASCAR, wear the same clothes as everyone else, have Evangelocon beliefs, love country music, root for the Crimson Tide (which I did even pretend to root for, because my family did and they'd give me free alcohol if I watched the games with them) or the Auburn Tigers, hate LSU regardless, and live up to a whole slew of other cultural norms, you were ostracized, by your family, by other kids growing up, by almost everyone. My mother forced me to see various shrinks as a kid, because I showed signs of depression and attachment issues at an early age (my grandmother, a real estate mogul who had sway with most of the local politicians, was like me. She came from nothing and built an empire. She loved me dearly, was always there, and lived next door, having given my parents a piece of my land. She once owned, and made, the entire street I lived on. When she passed suddenly when I was 13, leaving me to the wolves, I struggled to cope. She was all I had.) and, chasing a hunch, one shrink gave me an IQ test, after my grandmother died. I was, not even joking, diagnosed, as a disorder, as "suffering from a high IQ", a mere two points from genius. But I was the target of every kid with a chip on his or her shoulder in my school, and that was a lot of them. My father's side of the family detested me and made no effort to hide it. My parents and brother didn't even try to bond with me or care about any of it. I sincerely began to feel like something was wrong with me. I found solace online, where there were lots of others like me. You can guess how my parents took a teenage me spending all my free time (which was whenever I wasn't at school. I finished homework in class and, while I had some people I could kind of hang out with as friends at school, I didn't have a social life outside that) on the internet in the 2000's, often cutting it off or using programs, which I quickly learned to circumvent, to limit the time I spent there. I was ostracized just for being "super". It made my childhood miserable, gave me only one "real" family member, who died when I probably needed her most, obliterated any self esteem I had, and had me questioning if I was just a freak somehow. And that led to worse things, that I won't get into here. In high school, teachers would tell me in private that I was "9 times smarter than any kid in the class". I was asked to be on the math team, by a teacher who didn't like my showoffishness either and said she personally did not like me, but couldn't deny my merit. I was asked to be in the art club, by a teacher who didn't really like me either because my art was too "edgy", but well made. None of it helped. It was lonely at the top, and since my mind was all I liked about myself because everything else was insulted on a regular basis, but my mind passed every test I put it up to, and I was a grade ahead already, as you've probably gathered, I showed it off out of spite, pushing everyone further away with this one trait ego I was developing. Fortunately, when I went to university, with the ambition of becoming a doctor, a 200 level English (I tried to take an easy class every semester to lessen stress and give me less work to do) professor said my writing was better than 90% of the textbook and as good as the rest, passed my essays and poems out to the class, and, to my knowledge, classes ever since, to show what he wanted out of them (which is hilarious because they were essays on things I never even read. I didn't buy the textbook. I just gleaned what I needed from class discussion and contributed my own insight based on what I'd deduced from the things others had said. My input impressed that professor so much, he said that had he not heard the things I added in class, he'd have suspected my essays plagiarized.) and that same professor called me his star pupil, confessed to me how much he hated his job but would love it if every student were like me, and showed me one of his most private epic poems, about how he didn't want to teach, using Jonah's hesitance to preach to Nineveh as a metaphor for himself. Others told other professors as I walked by in the hall that I "was the one they told [the other professor] about, and that the other professor "wished he had [me] as a student", or introduced me to other professors, or let me hang out in their offices and chat when we both had a break. I used different equations on tests and still got the right answer, because I could. I pointed out professors' mistakes. I showed them things they missed to solve a problem faster. I wasn't treated as a sideshow. I was a person, and a very gifted one, a rising star. University vindicated me, and showed me my childhood for what it was - ignorant people hating what they could never be. ... Until an underlying disease basically caused my skeleton to start coming apart and my joints to grind one another to bits because my cartilage is extremely weak, making class too rigorous and too painful (those chairs were torture), forcing me to quit with a GPA acceptable for Hopkins. I work from home now, with a diversified income, and I'm married to a guy from Michigan.

[@dtz1586]

Great vid! I needed this

[@Wrweston]

So good! Well done.

[@sifilore]

Vilifying good people for their good deeds, there’s 1 explanation ta that with ANYTHING in general. Everybody’s got something to complain about no matter how petty it might be.

[@boldandbrash8431]

But the only person who actually earned their excellence in this movie was Syndrome

[@FEEonline]

One could say that Syndrome didn't earn his vast intelligence any more than Mr. Incredible earned his raw strength (he had to work out, too, btw). But the difference is, Mr. Incredible uses his strength to protect people and create value. Syndrome used his intelligence to murder people and destroy a city. Earned excellence is not merely skill or talents, but what you do with them.

[@cobaltprime9467]

Think of powers as a talent. Someone can be born with, say musical talent, but it’s merely a seed that needs to be cultivated. Though this person has an easier time learning piano; compared to someone without that talent. It doesn’t mean they didn’t earn that excellence, just were more apt to obtain it.

[@snowpawwolf1123]

Lmao tru I love him

[@prince_nocturne]

I did martial arts for several years when I was in high school. There were people that it came naturally to, and there were people like me, who were awkward and had to work hard every step of the way. When I got my black belt, it was one of the greatest moments of my life. To many of those that it came naturally to, it was just... another thing they got. It meant something, sure, but they didn't feel the same jubilation that those of us that struggled the whole way felt. But we stuck to it, even when it was hard. We didn't look for an easy way out, or give up and do something else. Syndrome looked for an easier way. He earned his excellence, but he didn't earn the recognition to go with it, because he was doing it in the wrong way. And Bob was also doing it for the wrong reason at the start. He was doing it for fame and glory, and lost a lot in the process. It wasn't until he started doing what he does because of his family that he truly became a hero. At least as far as the narrative is concerned. That said, Syndrome is still one of my favorite baddies ever. And that line about no one being special... gives me chills every time. Because he's right.

[@aaronyandell2929]

He certaintly worked hard for it, but the Incredibles have proven themselves as well. Clearly. They just didn't have to work as hard as Syndrome. And Syndrome did earn excellence, even if he did amoral things with that excellence.

[@p.diddymanson5467]

This video is one hell of a slapper.

[@tophatminion.7558]

I always wondered were the super villains went. When all the heroes were band

[@FEEonline]

This is an *excellent* question. It doesn't really seem like they'd just go away.

[@tophatminion.7558]

the only way it works is if there aren't any superpowered villains. which isn't impossible as the only villains we see don't have powers . they all use weapons or large machines f

[@kelsey6695]

Some of it falls apart if you try to figure out how things work outside the movie. It's fictional so they don't actually have to deal with where the villians went. BUT some fan theories suggest that the Supers were a government program and they may have faught real villians who were intrigued by the theatrics OR that they were also government creations... Really puts a darker spin on everything. Very Big Brother in a way I highly doubt the film makers intended.

[@trevynlane8094]

Agreed. It is a little publicized fact that most mass shootings happen in "gun free zones" and that the criminals that do this pick these targets because they will not likely be shot back at. I sincerely doubt that the villains stopped being villains just because the heroes were no longer around to stop them.

[@3-der290]

Congress. Duh.

[@beinerthchitivamachado9892]

The Imcredibles is easily my favorite movie of all time, the first time I saw it I was 6 and even now, 14 years later I still enjoy it as much as the first time and keep unpeeling it's layers.

[@SNAFUPhoenix]

nice. I have begun to watch the movie before watching your videos as a challenge to my own, or shared introspection

[@SweetStrawberryShell]

So glad you made this! I'm a massive Incredibles fan girl! I was only 13 when the 1st one came out 😁

[@isurcantu5560]

I think that what gives meaning to our life is to help others, imagine any creatino without someone to appreciate it. That is the most hollows of existance.

[@Leyon_Cyborg]

Very meaningful. Thank you for the video.

[@kate71342]

It's not about resenting and vilifying success, it's about recognizing that others in society helped people like Bezos reach their success and that big companies like Amazon shouldn't use welfare to make up for their employees insufficient wages.

[@FEEonline]

That's not how wages or welfare works.

[@kate71342]

Many of these big companies have done things to destroy unions and drive wages down, which makes people at the bottom inevitably need welfare. And claiming that people you disagree with resent and vilify people because of their success is creating a straw-man. How people attain their success is just as important as being successful.

[@kanishkchaturvedi1745]

Heres a counter argument, in a culture that only values exceptionalism, the lives of the majority are ridiculed by everyone in society including a majority. Liberal Americas ability to see the intrinsic worth of every Individual is a gift. Trust me thats why your Children have happier lives than most children in my country where they are made to believe life is a race and if they're not exceptional by their mid 20s it's time to accept your fate and dive into self loathing. While some people take self acceptance to the point of self delusion, all in all its a far healthier concept.

[@christophersnedeker2065]

Not all beauty is equal, but all beauty is important -Plato

[@zeehero7280]

Syndrome is fundamentally wrong, and it should be easy to see this. When everyone is super (in their own way) Everyone Is. it's not about being better than everyone else, its about doing what you do best, doing YOU best, knowing whats best for you. Which has been a topic the FEE has gone over many times, the fact that knowledge is decentralized across everyone in the world. Also in My Hero Academia "quirks" are normal and those without them are rare. yet people are still special.

[@billythe503kid4]

I loved this movie as a kid, and every time I watched it I always understood that no one can be perfect, but I never understood why ambition was part of the movie until I paid close attention. And I agree with it's message of meaning and value, hell I thought myself as the stupidest person in the world in freshman year since I was failing miserably and because of that I felt empty and sad. But in the end I dragged myself out by saying "I should try harder" and "to be the person I want to be" and it sucks to know that most people want to drag you through the mud because of an accomplishment you achieved. This just let's me know that not everyone is accepting the individual and will only accept the group based on anything they can find for example: "oh, your Hispanic, here take this medal for being Hispanic. You deserve it!" I won't drag this one comment any longer, reply to this comment if you have questions.

[@MeanBeanComedy]

Excellent work, gang! Keep it up!!

[@Clawla]

You have good stuff here man. Keep it up

[@MichaelRicksAherne]

Fabulous video. Really well-written.

[@adam872]

The Incredibles is one of my favourite movies ever and probably the best super hero movie I've seen.

[@user-hh4xs7ml7s]

This is pretty much my thoughts when rewatching the movie recently in a nutshell but I drew a lot of connections between the movie and anime like MP100 and MHA because the theme covered in this video is reletivly common in anime

[@namtrah13]

Really like your point of view on this!

[@MarkyMatey]

Masterful Essay on my favorite film.

[@nesano4735]

That movie is more relevant today than it was back then.

[@zaimwaqar2788]

I'm amazed this wasn't sponsored by skillshare.

[@sekounitoto7905]

You've made some good points in this video. I am on a path to my life's purpose which will come to life very soon.

[@Voivod74]

I would add at the end of every monthly beautiful video essay a sort of coda or appendix in which a possible book or movie is suggested in line with Out of Frame final purpose and meaning !! Regards :)

[@Playatoma]

You know I've always liked movies as a kid and growing up, then I found myself watching these kinds of videos in my free time., then studying film in general for fun. Then I wrote a short story for my English class just as an assignment, my teacher was extremely impressed and even proud of what I wrote. Given it wasn't the best thing but for my grade, and class, it was pretty good. She kept asking what I wanted to do when I got older, I say I have no clue. Then she told me to write some more. So I wrote another and shared it with some peers and I got a lot more positive feedback then negative. And now I want to be a screenwriter. Granted I have a long way to go and I really want to do it because I love both film and beautiful stories. Now, seeing this video, I just want to do it more. I'm going to try my absolute hardest, write, read, study, everything. Thank you, FEE.

[@jakubcesarzdakos5442]

Motivational. Actually best motivacional video I've ever watched :o

[@F0g1sC0ming]

This is actually a great video

[@sfall616]

I really like this movie and always will. It felt real when I was a kid watching it with my family. I don't feel the same comfort in movies today. Everything has a political agenda or something today. This video has some beautiful music too. Can I get some Sauce?

[@jonathanhallberg3009]

I can´t help but to think about a quote from the sci-fi show Babylon 5 when watching both the movie and this video. "Greatness is never appreciated in youth, called pride in middle age, dismissed in old age and reconsidered in death. Because we cannot tolerate greatnes in our midst we do all we can to destroy it."

[@whitehorsemilitia]

Only reason why many do not like The meaning in the Incredible is because it comes from the idea of Objectivism. Something so many people have a problem with.

[@moonbender95]

Thank you for this

[@snowpawwolf1123]

Dang that's D E E P. I wasn't emotionally prepared for this today.

[@boboh231]

great analysis, never picked up on that after my many viewings of this movie

[@KiriRose]

Wow, this video really made me depressed. I love it, keep up the grate work

[@TopsideCrisis346]

It is not enough to simply be, even to simply be something. One's existence must add value. What one does with one's own existence must add value. You do not add value simply by being. You add value by determining what you can do to add value, and then actually doing it. And so, to do is to be.

[@arandomzoomer4837]

This is what Ayn Rand warned us about. When we reject individual greatness in the name of the common good, everyone suffers.

[@christophersnedeker2065]

On the other hand, Mr Incredible's entire purpose was to altruistically help others. He hates his capitalist job, specifically because it denys people help for profit. It puts up front the real meat of what Marxist's problem with capitalism is, the fact that all things will be sacrificed to the profit motive or the firm will be out competed by those that do, capitalism trains the vine of production in that direction and in that only. " We're supposed to help people. We're supposed to help OUR people, starting with our stock holders Bob!" It holds true wether it's insurance, or food, or healthcare or anything. He is scammed, captured and almost killed by Syndrome, who then intends to unleash death and destruction on a city for a spectacle. It's none other than his wealth accumulated as a capitalist that gives him the means to commit these horrid actions.

[@13wayz70]

i never thought of it like that before

[@donnie7693]

bro I had to pause the video and just congratulate you on the use of litigious. never even heard that fuckin word before bro you my hero