Life Lessons You Can Learn From The Joker
Batman's virtually infamous nemesis, the Joker, has been a longstanding archetype for prankish mayhem, and the late Heath Ledger's masterful performance in The Dark Knight has just elevated the grapheme to new heights. Despite the Joker's unforgettable acts as a sociopathic murderer, many people are intrigued by him, and even find this Clown Prince of Offense to exist maddeningly charismatic.
So what'south at that place to dearest? A lot, and here's why:
Storytelling matters!
In "ye olde days", humankind had myths and fables. Today, nosotros have comic books and graphic novels. A central part of the human condition will always be an interest in motivation: whether it's why someone killed another person or how someone came to be the deranged maniac they are today — that someone for the purposes of this analogy being the Joker — knowing the "roots of the tree" is a persuasive, compelling hook. Even if the person telling the story is a lying psycho, if they're convincing, yous can't help but want to believe. Clearly, this can exist used for nefarious as well as positive purposes.
A key thrust of successful marketing, emphasized by everyone from guerilla pioneer Jay Conrad Levinson to newer mavericks like Seth Godin, is that people honey to be told stories. They don't necessarily have to be prissy stories, but they must exist memorable. Whether you're babysitting kids or endmost a big deal, telling a story that'll stick with your audition is cardinal: a story is a soft shell that seals in the facts and livens up hard data.
And fifty-fifty if the "facts" are subject to reinterpretation as we'll see, it doesn't change that people dearest a skilful yarn. And e'er volition.
Reimage yourself while keeping your core!
This is also known as "reinventing your image", but I figured that was too long: plus, since the Joker is our example and his origins are birthed in visuals, it makes sense to say reepitome.
Changing your mind too often is a bad matter and would effect in more flip-flopping than 2-Confront in a penny fountain. But spaced out over fourth dimension after people take gotten used to modify, reimaging — or fifty-fifty reimagining — continue things sparklingly fresh, as long equally the core of who yous are is consistent and earnest.
The Joker's origin story has changed many times over decades, and portrayals of him range from zany to disturbing (or a mix of both). But he's most commonly recognized every bit having a pale or white skin, an impossibly wide grin, green hair, and a generally-purple suit. Those visual aspects combine with his characteristics as a crazy killer clown. If nosotros were to reinvent him as, say, a kindly fireman and not prepare it up equally a pull a fast one on, the readers would feel betrayed and all manner of YouTube-quality comments would erupt.
The same is true for all pop characters who've been reimaged, from Lord's day Wukong (the trickster Chinese "Monkey Rex" now beingness featured in Olympics ads) to, well, Batman's other villains. And it's true for you too: whether you lot take a personal reputation to uphold or are representing a company, your focuses tin change over fourth dimension, just your cadre values cannot — the Joker wouldn't exist the Joker without a demented sense of what's funny.
Utilize wild humor and capture it!
By "wild", I don't mean "disgusting" or "decease-inducing" every bit the Joker tends to do, but I practise mean these attributes which the Joker flaunts: visceral, raw, spontaneous, and passionate.
Hither's the trouble: I've ofttimes heard people improvise something bright and wickedly humorous mid-chat, and and then I egg them on to write it down for later. They don't, and that gem gets lost. This saddens me, because maybe you've heard a friend say something similar: "I'll get effectually to information technology anytime?" but never does? Aforementioned emptiness here.
The people who do end up recording their flashes of brilliance are able to expand on them later: witness the tide of Internet phenomena, on "record" for the whole earth to see. And even on a personal level, you can piece of work through life's issues more effectively with a sense of perspective, and there'southward no more reliable way than keeping a journal — so y'all tin clearly refer to arduousness you dealt with before, and stay on rail with ambitions you've got up ahead.
So why is "humor" important here? Because jokes ease idea transmission; you lot're more probable to recall amusing conversations than irksome ones. Nearly people get more impact out of 30-secnd prank videos than 2-hour C-Bridge snorefests.
The Joker knows the value of capturing his ideas: for case, he takes cruel pictures to taunt Commissioner Gordon in The Killing Joke. And while I certainly don't recommend going down that dark path, having tools to document your genius will lead to your future self thanking the present you. Information technology can be as uncomplicated as a paper notepad, or a PDA. In fact, our own Dustin Wax wrote a neat article recently, "Back to Basics: Capture Your Ideas".
Selection a stiff color scheme!
Quick, what colors exercise yous call up of when the Joker comes to mind? Chances are it's predominantly light-green and purple. (Incidentally, my fave colors are light-green and pink like a neon watermelon, and it's helped me many times.)
If the Joker was, say, orange and xanthous, you might every bit well blurt out, "That's not the Joker!" This principle is true of superheroes and world flags — colors are associated with certain things, and as well aid ease idea manual.
Here, "Pick a strong color scheme!" means to apply this whenever appropriate. If you're setting upwards a new blog to capture your ideas, consider the tones and tints used your theme. If you're organizing files in folders, color-coding can aid you distinguish between them faster. If you're dressing up for a night at the guild, colors again come into play. Exist coordinated — simply don't take every color of the rainbow: 2-4 solid colors will do.
For further exploration on this path, see my personal scheme as featured on Kuler and COLOURlovers. The latter even has a listing of Joker-inspired schemes — colors, non ways to rob a depository financial institution.
Catchphrases count!
I covered this concluding week, and it'southward important to bring upwardly again: people have finite time, attention, and retentiveness. If yous can easily embed yourself into someone's head (and pleasantly, I'm hoping), y'all can accept a better human relationship considering they remember you. You'd rather be called upon past proper noun than thought of as, "Uh… who's that guy/girl again?".
The Joker has many notable quotables. Just nigh every incarnation has a tricky maxim. Some of them, like the meme-birthing "Why then serious?" (currently with virtually 1.3 one thousand thousand Google hits and a Facebook app), accept been used to market The Dark Knight and advance the film'due south popularity. Others are much longer and not fit for printing in a single dialog bubble, simply are unmistakably office of the Joker'southward identity.
Don't utilize catchphrases equally a cheap joke: do use them to extend your identity and build involvement in the rest of you. Similar the Joker's calling cards left at criminal offence scenes, catchphrases create marvel.
HA HA HA… I hope that'due south given you something to express joy and learn about — at present, tell me, what otherwise sad, fictional characters have you lot learned life lessons from?
Source: https://www.lifehack.org/articles/featured/life-lessons-you-can-learn-from-the-joker.html
0 Response to "Life Lessons You Can Learn From The Joker"
Post a Comment