I have been reading, watching and become fully enamored with the Dragon Ball franchise for more than two decades now. With every villain-filled arc and every powerful battle, I continue to come to the same conclusion over and over again – I want to be Goku. Goku is the protagonist of the well-known shonen manga and anime series. He is a loving and loyal fighter who will protect his friends, family, and all of Earth no matter the cost. Goku continues to push himself, never backs down, and trains endlessly to be the best.
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Although I do in fact have a tattoo of Kid Goku on a nimbus cloud tattoo, I am fully aware that Goku isn’t all good, in fact – Goku is a moron. Being an ignoramus is not his only bad trait, however, as shown time and time again – he can also be extremely naive, wildly arrogant when fighting, and can be very slow to react. His naivety and inability to act have caused him to die numerous times, caused others to die and even resulted in Frieza using his Earth Breaker technique to make the Earth explode. (Thank goodness for Whis and his three-minute time do-over!) Even still, when I think about which Saiyan I aspire to be, there is no doubt in my mind that I will always want to be Goku.
To many fans, there is a character that is arguably better than Goku, and that character is Vegeta. When we first meet Vegeta, he is a cold, conceited killer, whose only goal is to gain immortality through gathering the Dragon Balls. However, throughout the manga and anime, we see him grow into a dedicated husband and father, as well as a loyal friend and protector of Earth. Vegeta has beaten many incredibly mighty foes, including all of the Ginyu Force and Android 19. But, Vegeta has one very detrimental flaw. Vegeta wants to be strong. But not just strong, he HAS to be stronger than Goku.
This is actually a very common trait in fictional characters and humans alike. There is even a term for this behavior, it is called “Social Comparison Theory” and was coined in 1954 by psychologist Leon Festinger. Social Comparison Theory suggests that we tend to evaluate our own abilities in direct relation to others. There are three types of social comparisons that are explored in the theory: upward social comparison, comparing ourselves with someone who we deem as better; downward social comparison, comparing ourselves with someone who we deem as worse off; and lateral social comparison, or comparing oneself with another who we see as an equal. Upwards social comparison is seen as the most common form of social comparison. Additionally, some psychologists believe that more than ten percent of our daily thoughts involve making a comparison of some kind. That is a lot of time spent comparing.
What does this have to do with Goku? Unlike Vegeta, Goku’s ultimate goal is not to just be stronger than someone else – he wants to be strong for himself. This is why even though Vegeta is the better strategist and fighter, Goku always comes out on top. Goku beat Frieza on Namek while Vegeta laid slain on his deathbed. Goku’s strength surpasses Vegeta’s in most of the major arcs. In fact, Goku reached all levels of Super Saiyan, including God, before Vegeta.
Social comparison, when done with the best intentions, can be helpful, because it can help us assess if we are moving in the right direction. However, upwards social comparisons especially, can be mentally harmful and ultimately result in negative thoughts, behaviors, and unrealistic expectations. Every action you make shouldn’t be judged in relation to someone else. Every goal you set shouldn’t be to best someone else. Do it for yourself. Be the strongest person you can for yourself. Be Goku.
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