A lot of people find Superman to be unrelatable, including myself. I always assumed it was because he was alien, or overpowered, etc. The more I read I realised the real reason for me is because he’s incredibly virtuous. Clark is kind, empathetic, patient and almost completely selfless. A true altruist. He is the type of person who fights only because he has the gifts to defend helpless people against threats they couldn’t possibly handle. There are some many great moments in Superman comics, such construction workers wanting to fix Metropolis collateral damage themselves when Superman could do it himself. Clark has understands that people need to have pride in the things they are capable of and self-sufficient. Superman understands people. He knows when to help and when to step aside.
This kind of self restraint is what makes him a super man. It’s not his almighty power, it’s his incorruptible humility before it. How many of us would be corrupted by that power, even a little? How many of us would slide down that slope to becoming something horrific like Homelander or Ultraman? Superman shows nothing but restraint, especially in combat. There are multiple examples of this, even entire story arcs, like Superman: Exile.
Superman might be corny, childish and simplistic in its idealism, but it is a good ideal to live up to, even in our own mundane lives. Superman is super because he is a good person who uses his power to benefit everyone indiscriminately.
