Everyday Series | Season 1 | Significant Lessons Saturdays | 011 | Thanos
In this episode, we unpack lessons from Thanos.
He is the 'Mad Titan' who is arguably the most menacing and toughest villain in the acclaimed Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). His presence, aims and appearance has been built up for the past decade and his portrayal by Josh Brolin in Avengers Infinity Wars was extremely satisfying. Regardless of his brutality, malicious aims, and questionable morality, there are many lessons we can learn from the MCU's toughest villain.
Be a person of focus.
"The entire time I knew Thanos, he only ever had one goal: To wipe out half the universe." - Gamora
"And then what?"
"I finally rest. And watch the sun rise on a grateful universe. - Doctor Strange and Thanos
Thanos is clearly portrayed as a man of commitment, focus, patience, and pure will. His daughter mentions that, for all his life, Thanos has only wanted to achieve one objective - this was echoed when Thanos interacts with Doctor Strange and informs him of what he will do when he is done reaching his goal. In order to reach his goal, he had a plan to collect the infinity stones, have an ornament made to wield their collective power, assemble a team to assist in his aims, and even make the necessary adjustments. Thanos would never allow anyone to stop him even the love of his daughter and facing many foes. Whether you agree with his sacrifices or not, you can't deny that Thanos is a man of focus.
Sometimes, you need to get it done yourself.
"Fine. I'll do it myself." - Thanos
Delegation is the act of taking prioritized tasks and then giving others the responsibility of execution to a capable person. Delegation is important to make your efforts scalable and being able to achieve more in less time. Delegation works more often than individual acts. However, there are instances when you have a vision, and others struggle to reach the required aim, where you may need to step in. There is an old saying I used to disagree with until I learned from experience "If you want something done right, you need to do it yourself." In the case of Thanos, after delegating the task of having others retrieve infinity stones for multiple years - he knew he had to step in. In Infinity Wars, he was able to retrieve all six infinity stones over the course of a week. He did have help but it was not until he said "fine, I'll do it myself" that he got things done. Delegation is good but sometimes, you need to get it done yourself.
Work until you need no introduction.
"Master, you cannot! Thanos is the most powerful being in the universe!" - Korath
Over the course of a decade, Thanos has been built up in lore, legend, and stories. Over years, Thanos built up a track record and reputation of being, tough, strong, and impossible to beat. From planet to planet, galaxy to galaxy and hero to hero, Thanos built a menacing presence. Thanos did not need any introduction when it was time to collect the infinity stones - even the Bruce Banner, once experiencing a beat down from Thanos, went around warning the earth about Thanos coming. Reputation is important and will stand you in good stead. The most legendary in their field have put in the time so they need no introduction.
