27 Life Lessons to Learn from

Iron Man

Hidden Wisdom Derives from a Super Hero

By Jeff Li
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................................................ 1

LESSON 1: YOU CAN’T BE INVINCIBLE ....................................................................................................... 3

LESSON 2: YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE A LONE WOLF ................................................................................... 4

LESSON 3: EVEN STRONG PEOPLE HAVE WEAKNESSES ............................................................................. 5

LESSON 4: KNOW YOUR GOOD AND BAD TRAITS ..................................................................................... 6

LESSON 5: ADMIT YOUR MISTAKES .......................................................................................................... 7

LESSON 6: BELIEVE IN YOURSELF .............................................................................................................. 8

LESSON 7: BE DEDICATED ......................................................................................................................... 9

LESSON 8: WORK TO IMPROVE .............................................................................................................. 10

LESSON 9: TEAMWORK IS KEY ................................................................................................................ 11

LESSON 10: TAKE RISKS .......................................................................................................................... 12

LESSON 11: WORK WITH WHAT YOU ARE GIVEN ................................................................................... 13

LESSON 12: APPRECIATE YOUR LOVED ONES ......................................................................................... 14

LESSON 13: SOME ALONE TIME IS OKAY ................................................................................................ 15

LESSON 14: DON’T CUT OTHERS OFF ...................................................................................................... 16

LESSON 15: CHOOSE FRIENDS WISELY .................................................................................................... 17

LESSON 16: LISTEN TO YOUR FRIENDS’ ADVICE ...................................................................................... 18

LESSON 17: LEADERS MUST KNOW THE CONSEQUENCES OF ACTIONS .................................................. 19

LESSON 18: KNOWLEDGE + ACTION = POWER ........................................................................................ 20

LESSON 19: LEADERS NEED BOUNDARIES .............................................................................................. 21

LESSON 20: TECHNOLOGY IS NOT EVERYTHING...................................................................................... 22

LESSON 21: ENJOY YOURSELF ................................................................................................................. 23

LESSON 22: BE OPEN ABOUT YOUR INTENTIONS.................................................................................... 24

LESSON 23: ACCEPT SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES ....................................................................................... 25

LESSON 24: DRESS WELL ........................................................................................................................ 26

LESSON 25: CONTROL YOUR EMOTIONS ................................................................................................ 27

LESSON 26: SPEAK SLOWLY AND CAUTIOUSLY ....................................................................................... 28

LESSON 27: WORK HARD, PARTY HARD ................................................................................................. 29

CONCLUSION ......................................................................................................................................... 30
 Disclaimer
The views and opinions expressed in this eBook are solely those of the author,
and do not in any way represent the character (Iron Man) and its respective
creators/owners.

The author does not assert any claim from the movies related to Iron Man. All
content of the movies, as well as their main character (Iron Man) remain the
property of their respective creators/owners.

The content of this eBook is derived from the author’s review and reflection of the
movies featuring Iron Man, and is not meant to violate any copyright laws.

How to Use this eBook effectively

Do not judge the table of content.

You will discover new perspective after reading

each lesson that is derived from the Iron Man series.

Apply one lesson at a time to your Real-Life Situation.

Remember, you are a Super Hero in the making!

The World needs YOU!

Jeff Li
 27 LIFE LESSONS TO LEARN FROM IRON MAN

INTRODUCTION

This eBook is going to unveil all of the life lessons that are neatly tucked away
into the Iron Man series. Smart, suave and extremely admirable, everyone wants
to be like Tony Stark.

To most people, that might seem like a ridiculous aspiration. However,

throughout this eBook, you will realize that it is more reasonable a wish than you
might have thought.

The concept of superheroes is one that has been around for years upon years.

The appeal of a person with extraordinary talents who works for the benefit of the
world just never seems to fade. Tony Stark is a character that is layered, complex,
and far from perfect—but this makes him all the better for people to learn from.

Nowadays, movies are the most popular form of superhero related

entertainment.

One of the most well known and well-loved superhero movie series is that of Iron
Man. One of the reasons for that is because there is something about the series
that makes it that little bit more realistic and relatable. When we first find Tony
Stark in Afghanistan, we are instantly drawn to the story. It may not be quite like
the average person's daily life, but it feels somewhat closer to reality than other
superhero movies.

Right from the start of the movie until the very end, everyone that watches Iron
Man is thoroughly intrigued.

When the movie ends, though, everyone seems to be brought back to reality.
Sometimes, there is a sinking feeling of disappointment when you realize that it
was all just fiction and that there is no such thing as a real superhero.

1
 27 LIFE LESSONS TO LEARN FROM IRON MAN

However, something that most people do not think about is that there are ways to
take inspiration from superheroes and apply certain aspects of their stories to
real life situations.

Of course, there’s no way to suddenly get your hands on a radioactive spider or

millions of dollars and super high-tech tools. Additionally, there is no threat to
the planet from any monstrous, insanely powerful or otherworldly beings.

That being said, everyone faces personal struggles throughout their lives—
whether it has to do with family, friends, your career, your self-esteem or any
other aspect.

Superheroes face similar struggles in their tales. Even if their stories are fictional
and vastly different from your own life story, if you open up your mind, you will
find that there are plenty of life lessons to be learned from superheroes.

The one superhero we will focus on for this eBook is Tony Stark, AKA Iron Man.
An eccentric, charismatic, attractive and ridiculously rich industrialist may not
seem like the most relatable character at first.

However, when you dig a little deeper into his character, he has strengths as well
as weaknesses. Upon analyzing the personality of Iron Man, you might just learn
some precious tips to help you to become more productive and successful in your
day-to-day life.

Don’t believe it? Simply read on to find out more.

2
 27 LIFE LESSONS TO LEARN FROM IRON MAN

LESSON 1: YOU CAN’T BE INVINCIBLE

It is very natural to feel good when you accomplish something. In fact, it is a good
thing to give yourself credit where credit is due. It is important to realize that
there is a difference between giving yourself credit and adopting the false belief
that you are the single most important human being in existence.

This may sound like an exaggeration, but a very large number of people are guilty
of becoming too full of themselves when they begin to achieve success. This, in
fact, often leads to their downfall in the long run.

For example, if you worked hard at your workplace to get a promotion, that’s
great. Give yourself a pat on the back, celebrate, but don’t get too cocky. Do not
lull yourself into a false sense of comfort that makes you think that no matter how
poorly you perform at your job in the future, your boss will never even dream of
firing you.

Human beings are not invincible. They never can or will be. Even superheroes
can not allow themselves to get overconfident about their capabilities, so why
should you?

In the second Iron Man movie, Tony Stark seemed to be facing this exact issue.
He was convinced that he was practically the founder of world peace and that the
American government was useless. He thought that the only person necessary to
achieve world peace was himself.

He was proven wrong by the arrival of the villain: Whiplash. Suddenly, he had to
accept that even he, as a superhero, was not invincible.

3
 27 LIFE LESSONS TO LEARN FROM IRON MAN

LESSON 2:
YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE A LONE WOLF

One of the first impressions that we get from Tony Stark is that he likes to be on
his own, and he can be a little bit self-centered at times—borderline narcissistic,
even. However, throughout his life we see him learn to accept others and learn
that it is not always a good idea to be a lone wolf all of the time.

While many of us are introverts, and we prefer having time to ourselves, it is

important not to let this introversion stop us from leaning on and caring for the
people we trust.

A lot of people do not realize that humans are social creatures by nature, and
even if some of us are more extroverted or introverted than others, we all require
interaction with others. This is something that everyone needs to accept and
come to terms with.

By attempting to seclude ourselves and take on responsibilities and hardships on

our own, we are not helping anyone—not even ourselves. Therefore, from the
Iron Man movies, we should learn that being a lone wolf is not an option. It is not
healthy, it is not productive, and it can be very harmful in the long run.

Initially, Tony Stark’s main interactions took place with artificial intelligence.
Throughout the movie series’, we see him trusting people, such as Pepper, more
and stepping out of his role of the "lone wolf", which caused his character to
develop and grow. It was this growth that aided the movies and his character in
being so strong.

4
 27 LIFE LESSONS TO LEARN FROM IRON MAN

LESSON 3:
EVEN STRONG PEOPLE HAVE WEAKNESSES

One of the most significant lessons that we can learn from the Iron Man series is
that being strong does not mean that you don’t have any weaknesses. In fact,
even the strongest people you know have their vulnerabilities.

At the start, we see Tony Stark as someone who is always egotistical, self-assured
and the epitome of strength. It seems scarcely imaginable that such a man could
ever be described as "weak."

However, at a certain point, we realize that even he has his weaknesses. He

struggles with feelings of vulnerability, just like most of us do at some point in
our lives.

That being said, Tony Stark also shows us that this weakness is only momentary.
You can, in fact, overcome these issues that you have within yourself and become
even stronger than you were before by learning from the experience.

Even if you are at the lowest point, you have ever been at in your life, giving up all
hope is not an option. The idea of picking yourself back up and gaining
confidence again seems almost impossible, but it isn't.

It is only during the Iron Man 3 movie that we see, for the first time, that Tony
Stark has another side to him. We see him broken down, vulnerable and torn—
until he picks himself up again and overcomes his weaknesses, saving the day in
the process. His character is then cemented as a multifaceted one, someone that
we all can relate to in our ways.

5
 27 LIFE LESSONS TO LEARN FROM IRON MAN

LESSON 4:
KNOW YOUR GOOD AND BAD TRAITS

Thousands of people all over the world want to be like Tony Stark. While the
much-loved superhero seems confident, self-assured and even cocky, throughout
the movies we see him develop and grow as a person. This is a great opportunity
for us to do the same thing, in our way.

Instead of assuming that he is faultless, he begins to acknowledge that he has

good and bad traits. This is one of the keys to success for anyone: self-awareness.

If you don’t know yourself, and your strengths as well as the weaknesses, you will
never be able to flourish.

Even the great Iron Man had to suffer the consequences of his arrogance
numerous times, and it is through this that he learned his lesson—and it is also
how we can learn a lesson, too.

If you allow your ego to become too big, and ignore all the faults that you have or
that your ideas have, you will almost certainly fail.

This does not mean that you should take things to the opposite side of the
spectrum and become self-loathing and discouraged. The key is to keep your
mindset balanced so that you know the good and the bad about yourself and
everything you do.

In the very first Iron Man movie, Tony Stark realized that he was far from perfect.
He had taken innocent lives with his technology, and he had to open up his eyes
to this fact to improve.

6
 27 LIFE LESSONS TO LEARN FROM IRON MAN

LESSON 5:
ADMIT YOUR MISTAKES

This next lesson is one that stems from the previous one: admit to your mistakes.
Once you have achieved the first step, i.e. self-awareness of your good and bad
traits, it is a good time for you to realize that when you cause something bad to
happen, you should admit to it.

Denial and playing blame games is going to hinder your growth as a person, and
it is also going to make people dislike you. Neither of these are particularly
desirable outcomes. Similarly, feigning ignorance or acting as nothing has
happened is not a good way to make things better, either.

For example, if you did something that hurt someone that you care about, instead
of attempting to convince yourself that it was not your fault, or that you shouldn't
need to apologize or fix the situation, take a moment to think things through
coolly.

Do you truly believe that you did absolutely nothing wrong? Chances are, you did.

So instead of starting to blame others for things that you did, admit to your
mistakes and make an effort to correct them. This is the only way you can grow
and become a better person over time.

When Tony Stark realized, in the first Iron Man movie, that his technology was
harming others, he did not just sit around and let it keep happening.

Instead, he admitted his mistakes, took responsibility and wore the suit himself
instead of letting other people get hurt.

7
 27 LIFE LESSONS TO LEARN FROM IRON MAN

LESSON 6:
BELIEVE IN YOURSELF

It’s easy enough to simply go where life takes you, and to do whatever other
people expect from you.

However, one thing that we can learn from the Iron Man series is that sometimes
it is necessary to have faith in yourself, in your values and in what you believe is
right.

Think about how often you take the steps you need to to do what you believe in—
probably not as often as you should.

Instead, we get caught up in catering to the wishes and expectations of our

family, our friends, our coworkers, etc.

While there is no harm in taking other people’s advice if they are people that you
know and trust, there is a difference between listening to and applying well
thought out advice, and simply fulfilling every little wish and expectation that
others have for you.

The latter is what you want to avoid in all cases. Don't take it to the point where
you become completely and utterly selfish, but if your heart tells you to do
something, then chances are that that is what you should be doing.

Tony Stark was always known for being someone who partied, drank and
womanized. After his nearly fatal experiences and life threatening shrapnel
wound, he returned to his "normal" life again, and people expected him to be just
like he used to be.

However, instead, he followed his heart and began the process of reinventing
himself as a better person, shutting down his weapon manufacturing division.

8
 27 LIFE LESSONS TO LEARN FROM IRON MAN

LESSON 7:
BE DEDICATED

Something that everyone can learn from Tony Stark is that dedication is essential
if you wish to succeed at something. This not only means that you need to want to
achieve the particular goal truly, but you also need to be able to dedicate your
time and talents towards that goal, too.

For example, if you want to achieve a promotion at your workplace, you need to
do more than just sitting around and waiting for it to fall right into your lap. In
fact, you need to actively make an effort to take the appropriate steps that you
know will help you get to that goal.

Whether it means taking on more projects than you normally would, working to
establish a better relationship with your coworkers and superiors, etc. you need
to stay focused on what your aspirations are and then dedicate yourself to turning
them into a reality.

This is the only way you will be able to lead a productive life and make use of your
skills.

We saw Tony Stark apply this in the Iron Man series when he escaped the
clutches of terrorists in Afghanistan, realized how destructive his creations could
be and instead made the goal of creating suits that could help him save people
from all kinds of dangers.

He then truly dedicated his efforts, his skills and his time into working towards
this goal. It was only due to this intense commitment that he was able to give rise
to the birth of Iron Man.

9
 27 LIFE LESSONS TO LEARN FROM IRON MAN

LESSON 8:
WORK TO IMPROVE

Improvement is one of an essential parts of any human being's life. From Iron
Man, we learn that there is always a need for improvement, even if you are a
superhero with tremendous talent and power.

It is also important to know that improvement is not something that happens

automatically, without you even making an effort. On the contrary, you need to
truly push yourself to your limits and put in a lot of hard work if you want to see
an improvement in any aspect of your life.

For example, if you want to boost the health of your body and gain strength, it’s
not going to happen if you sit on your couch and watch television all day. You will
need to work out, push your body to its limits and only then will you see the
changes that you want to see.

The same principle applies to any other aspect of your life. Whether it is
relationships, fitness, your career, your education, your social life—,there is
always room for improvement, and you need to make a conscious effort to
achieve that improvement.

As can be seen in the Iron Man series, the enemies are always getting stronger,
and as a result, Tony Stark needs to get stronger, too. In Iron Man 3, this was
very clearly illustrated by the fact that Tony Stark needed to create an army of
suits to defeat the villains who wanted to kill him, and save the life of the
president!

10
 27 LIFE LESSONS TO LEARN FROM IRON MAN

LESSON 9:
TEAMWORK IS KEY

Unfortunately, pride is one of the downfalls of a lot of people. It is because of

their pride that many people flat out refuse to work alongside others, and as a
result, they are unable to grow to their full potential and become a more skilled
and stronger person.

Something that Iron Man teaches us is that teamwork is of the utmost

importance, and this is something that everyone should learn to apply in his or
her day-to-day life as well.

It can be, undoubtedly, difficult to work with a team, since everyone has different
personalities and egos.

However, what is more, difficult is dealing with the numerous problems that arise
when you attempt to do everything by yourself. Instead of putting the entire
burden on yourself, and then drowning in all of the negative effects of it
afterward, it might be a good idea to swallow your pride and combine forces with
others.

It doesn’t matter whether it is in your personal or professional life, problems are

often much easier to deal with when you work as a team.

Tony Stark often thought that he was the only hero that the world needed.
However, it was only when the world was facing some huge threats that he finally
swallowed his pride and teamed up with other heroes, such as Captain America,
Scarlett Witch, Thor.

Initially, the team did not get along perfectly, but eventually Tony Stark realized
that the only way to solve the problem at hand was to cooperate—so they did, and
they achieved success as a result.

11
 27 LIFE LESSONS TO LEARN FROM IRON MAN

LESSON 10:
TAKE RISKS

It is often so easy to stick with what you know is safe. We are often terrified of
risks, and we over analyze the potential risks of everything we do.

This prevents us from ever stepping outside the box and doing something new
that might just end up being extremely beneficial. Instead, we stick to our
mundane but functional routine that keeps us at a plateau regarding success and
growth as a person. This can end up being quite harmful in the long term.

On the other hand, though, it can be equally harmful to take risks constantly. If
you are exploring new, potentially dangerous things every single day, there is a
high chance of a lot of those risks backfiring on you. This would not be a desirable
outcome, either.

Taking risks is something that everyone needs to do. Without them, you aren’t
going to get very far. However, those risks need to be appropriately timed and
only taken when your instincts tell you to go for them. Balance your attitude
towards risk taking, so that you are neither afraid of nor obsessed with risks.

Additionally, you must know that even if your risks are unsuccessful, that doesn’t
mean they were not worth taking.

We see Iron Man take risks whenever he feels like they are necessary. For
example, in the first movie, we see that he pushes himself to the limit by flying so
far into the stratosphere, causing his suit to become iced over and resulting in
him crashing back to the earth.

12
 27 LIFE LESSONS TO LEARN FROM IRON MAN

LESSON 11:
WORK WITH WHAT YOU ARE GIVEN

One of the traits of Tony Stark that helps him to become such a successful
superhero is his adaptability. This is something that a lot of us can learn from, as
it has benefits in the real world as well.

A lot of people struggle to gain success in their life because they are unable to
adapt. Every time they are faced with a new challenge or difficulty, they don’t
know how to deal with it and simply give up.

Something that you need to learn is to work with whatever is available to you at
the moment. For example, if you are receiving a low income at the moment, you
need to learn to prioritize your spending habits accordingly and work with the
amount of money you are earning.

If you have been given a particularly difficult project to work on in your career,
instead of breaking down and abandoning it, adapt yourself and use your current
skills to pursue the task as best as you can. It may be difficult at first, but you will
get used to it and improve your skills with time.

Tony Stark was trapped in a cave by terrorists, being forcibly made to build
weapons for them that were highly destructive.

You can imagine the limited resources that he must have had in those caves—yet
he still somehow managed to build a suit of armor that aided him in escaping.

This was because he was able to use the skills he had to use whatever little he was
given.

13
 27 LIFE LESSONS TO LEARN FROM IRON MAN

LESSON 12:
APPRECIATE YOUR LOVED ONES

Everyone has people that they care about in their life—be it friends, family, or a
significant other.

That being said, no matter how much we care about them, there are times when
we forget or neglect to appreciate them the way they deserve to be appreciated.

Even though we love them immensely, they may not be aware of that if we don’t
show them.

It is not that difficult once you actively make an effort to do so. Something as
simple as giving someone you care about a smile or a present once in a while can
cement your relationship with them for life.

If you have difficulty expressing your emotions, this may be a bit of a challenge
for you. However, no matter how scared or nervous you may be, you will find that
you will feel amazing after you go the extra mile for the people you love.

In the Iron Man movies, we can learn this lesson from the relationship of Tony
Stark and Pepper Potts. Even though that has apparently been working together
for quite a while, we see in the first movie that Tony Stark does not even know
simple things about her or bother to find out those things, such as her birthday.

As the stories progress, though, we notice that he begins to show that he cares
and appreciate her much more.

It is through this appreciation that their relationship becomes stronger over time.

14
 27 LIFE LESSONS TO LEARN FROM IRON MAN

LESSON 13:
SOME ALONE TIME IS OKAY

A lot of people who are introverts by nature tend to feel pressured to force
themselves to be a social butterfly and to surround themselves with people that
they don't even particularly get along with. When it comes to working on goals,
they feel like they need the support of others, or they won't be able to achieve
what they want—which isn't always true.

While it is true that everyone needs social interaction of some kind, you should
never feel like you need to utilize all of your time on other people.

In fact, a little alone time is not just perfectly okay, but it could do you a lot of
good regarding productivity.

While it is important to dedicate time to other people, especially the ones that
you trust and care about, it is equally important to dedicate some time to yourself
and your own goals every single day.

Whether you simply want to be alone for a while to sit in peace and do nothing, or
to work on a project or a personal goal that you have set yourself, this is perfectly
healthy and is a good idea.

Throughout the Iron Man series, although we see Tony Stark open up to people
and learn to care about more than just himself, he always values alone time
nonetheless.

While he did depend on other people in times of need, working on things by

himself also taught him how to be strong on your own, if you need to be.

15
 27 LIFE LESSONS TO LEARN FROM IRON MAN

LESSON 14:
DON’T CUT OTHERS OFF

Something to remember is that valuing a little bit of alone time now and then to
work on things that you are passionate about does not mean that you should cut
everyone off and seclude yourself permanently.

While it is extremely admirable to be committed to a goal and to work on it, it can

be easy to take it so far that you ignore important things that are going on around
you, and the important people in your life.

You do not want to let your work, or your passions cut you off from the rest of the
world.

For example, if you are a dedicated professional with a great but taxing career,
and you find yourself working many hours every day, don’t forget to pull yourself
out of the bubble for some time to spend time with others and to notice the
happenings of the world.

It is a beautiful thing to have a passion, something that you are working towards
or something that you are thoroughly invested in. It gives you a sense of purpose
and achievement.

However, there are other important aspects of life that you must not neglect.

In Iron Man, Tony stark frequently closes everyone off while he works in his
underground workshop for days upon days. This helps him to do and create
amazing things, but it also causes numerous disadvantages—for example, he
remains unaware that Obadiah Stane is betraying him until it is very late.

16
 27 LIFE LESSONS TO LEARN FROM IRON MAN

LESSON 15:
CHOOSE FRIENDS WISELY

Friends can be a great help in many aspects of one’s life, but this only applies if
you choose your friends very wisely and cautiously.

Most people have, at some point or the other, experienced the uncomfortable
situation of having a friend that does you more harm than good.

Often, you may not even realize how toxic this friend is until they are already out
of your life. Looking back, you may even be surprised at how oblivious you were
about how bad of an influence they were.

For this very reason, it is essential that you open your eyes a little bit and take
special care to be a little bit wary every time you are entering a new friendship
with someone.

This does not mean that you should be cold and unapproachable to everyone—be
polite, but do not trust every single person you meet on the very first day that you
are getting to know them.

Take your time to get to know them better gradually, and then use your intuition
to decide whether you think they are a good person or not. If you don't think you
would get along well with them, then there is no need to stick around for mere
courtesy—just move on.

Throughout the Iron Man and Avengers movies, we see Tony Stark gradually
opening up to people more and more, but he does it with the right people, which
is what is of the utmost importance.

17
 27 LIFE LESSONS TO LEARN FROM IRON MAN

LESSON 16:
LISTEN TO YOUR FRIENDS’ ADVICE

After you have made friends that you truly care about and trust, and that you
know have your best interests at heart don't be afraid to listen to their advice and
truly consider applying it to your life.

It can feel a little embarrassing and uncomfortable, at times, to have someone tell
us what they think we are doing wrong or what they think we should do, but if
you put aside your pride for a while and listen to what they are saying with an
open mind, you may realize that they are actually right.

You do not have to blindly accept everything anyone tells you that you should
do—in fact, that might be a bad idea as it would prevent you from being
independent and self-sufficient.

However, do take the advice of trusted friends and loved ones into consideration
and put aside your ego if you know that they are giving you this advice out of love.

In Avengers: Age of Ultron, we see Tony Stark taking on the responsibility of

devising a system for the protection of the planet. Instead of consulting his
teammates for their input and advice, his headstrong personality takes over, and
he attempts to do everything on his own. Of course, this resulted in doing much
more harm than good, creating something that could destroy the entire planet
rather than protect it.

This showed us that there is no harm in taking the advice of trustworthy people—
in fact, it will do you good sometimes.

18
 27 LIFE LESSONS TO LEARN FROM IRON MAN

LESSON 17:
LEADERS MUST KNOW THE CONSEQUENCES
OF ACTIONS

Something that is essential for someone to be a good leader is to understand that

every action that you take will have consequences of some sort, and these
consequences will affect not only you but also the people that you are leading.

This is an important lesson to take home from Iron Man because it is very easy to
center your decisions around yourself and nobody else, but when you are a
leader—be it at a workplace, in your family or anywhere else—you need to
consider the bigger picture and think about how your choices are going to both
negatively and positively affect everyone else.

Understanding and thinking about the consequences of your choices is a great

way to improve your decision-making skills, too, as it helps you to prioritize and
make quality decisions that will have the most favorable outcomes.

In the movie Avengers: Age of Ultron, Tony Stark, along with other superheroes,
did their job and saved the whole world. However, in the next movie, i.e. Captain
America Civil War, the consequences of the actions that they took back then were
brought to light.

The loss of innocent lives, the destruction, and damage that occurred during that
time hit Tony Stark like a slap in the face, as he hadn't thought about the
consequences of their actions before that.

It made him alter his thoughts and ideas regarding what “heroes” truly are. From
this, we learn that understanding the good and bad possible outcomes of every
choice we make is an essential part of being a good leader.

19
 27 LIFE LESSONS TO LEARN FROM IRON MAN

LESSON 18:
KNOWLEDGE + ACTION = POWER

Another important lesson that Iron Man teaches us is that the value of knowledge
is incomparable to anything else.

If you wish to succeed in your career, your studies, and simply your life in
general, one of the absolute best things you can do is to expand upon the
knowledge that you currently have.

There is no such thing as having complete knowledge, which is why it is always

possible to learn more and to improve upon what you already know.

This may sound dull and difficult, but once you start, you may just realize that
you have an interest in certain things, and you may look forward to learning more
about those subjects.

It is important to truly work to develop an interest in the things you learn about
so that it is no longer a chore but is, in fact, a positive experience for you.

One of the keys to success is to be passionate about what you are learning, and
this is now as difficult of a step as you might think. More often than not, we are
not born with a passion for learning—it is something that needs to be developed
by you over time.

In the Iron Man movies, Tony Stark may have that devil-may-care attitude, but
underneath it all, we know that he is a genius with extreme skills. It is only
because of his unmatchable knowledge that he can become a powerful superhero.

That alone should be enough motivation to improve your knowledge!

20
 27 LIFE LESSONS TO LEARN FROM IRON MAN

LESSON 19:
LEADERS NEED BOUNDARIES

Something that a lot of people do not seem to realize is that being put in charge of
something, or have been appointed as the leader for something, does not mean
that you have no boundaries that you need to stay within.

In fact, leaders need to understand that they have certain boundaries, just like
everyone else. Being a leader does not make you “all powerful”—what it does
mean, though, is that you need to understand where your power starts and where
it ends.

One of the main things that every person in a leadership position could benefit
from is to accept the fact that being a leader does not give you a free pass to do
whatever you like. If that were the case, then the whole world would be overrun
by tyranny. In many areas, it is in fact overrun by tyranny because of the power
that leaders believe they have.

If you happen to be in some leadership position, you need to establish a logical

and clear process when it comes to making important decisions—a process that is
fair to everyone.

You need to make sure to stick to that process to ensure that you never misuse
the power that you have or overstep your boundaries even if it is tempting to do
so.

In Captain America: Civil War, Tony Stark wanted to UN to have oversight of the
Avengers, justifying this choice to the others by telling them that accepting
limitations is what distinguishes them from the villains.

21
 27 LIFE LESSONS TO LEARN FROM IRON MAN

LESSON 20:
TECHNOLOGY IS NOT EVERYTHING

In this day and age, it is almost like technology rules the world. Within the course
of just the past few decades, the development of technology has grown at a rapid
rate, and with this technology becoming more readily available, it seems like
everyone is now unable to live without computers, smartphones and the like.

There is no doubt that technology has changed many aspects of all of our lives for
the better, but it is also important that too much of a good thing can end up
having a lot of drawbacks.

First of all, a large number of people become so obsessed with their electronic
devices that they begin to struggle when it comes to real life communication. This
is not a particularly desirable trait, and social awkwardness can hinder you in
your career as well as your social life.

Secondly, it is always a good idea to be able to develop your skills without the
help of a gadget. For example, attempt to improve your mental math instead of
constantly having to pull out your phone and use the calculator.

Improve your knowledge with the help of eBooks rather than doing a lazy, and
often unreliable, internet search all the time.

When Tony Stark is trapped in a cave in the first movie, he has little to no
technology—yet he still manages to use his skills to get out of there, even without
the help of fancy computers or artificial intelligence.

22
 27 LIFE LESSONS TO LEARN FROM IRON MAN

LESSON 21:
ENJOY YOURSELF

Whether you are at work, taking classes for something or the other, or at a social
gathering with a lot of friends—one thing that you should do whenever possible is
to enjoy yourself.

It might sound like a strange thing to want to do, especially when you are working
on something important. However, being able to enjoy yourself no matter what
you do is a highly valuable trait.

The reason for this is that when you can see the positives in something difficult
that you are working to achieve, or when you can make light of tricky situations,
this not only helps to relieve some of the stress that you may be feeling, but it also
helps to diffuse the anxiety of those around you.

So if for example, you are working on a complicated group project at your

workplace, and everyone seems to be under a lot of stress, it may not hurt to
make a few jokes here and there and make an effort to cheer everyone up.

Of course, it is necessary to realize that there is a limit to this. Gauge the mood of
the people around you, and then proceed.

Throughout the Iron Man movies, we see Tony Stark faced with extremely
difficult situations and dangerous environments—but whether he is out at a party
or facing bad guys, we always get the impression that he is enjoying himself and
can make light of things, even at his own expense.

23
 27 LIFE LESSONS TO LEARN FROM IRON MAN

LESSON 22:
BE OPEN ABOUT YOUR INTENTIONS

Something that is of utmost importance when you are aiming to be the best
person and the best leader is that you possibly can remember to be honest and
open to other people about your intentions.

One way to instantly lose the trust of the people you care about or the people that
you are working with in a professional environment is to be dishonest with them.
Nobody respects a person, whether it is someone in their social life or their
workplace, who lies to them continuously and tries to get them on their side via
manipulation.

So, if you wish to get on everyone's good side and be a more reliable and
trustworthy person in everyone else's eyes—as well as to be able to have self-
respect and faith in yourself—then it is necessary that you remain clear and
straightforward about what you want to achieve, and the methods that you wish
to use to achieve those things.

This is without trouble, the only way to gain people's trust in the long term.
Sneaky tactics and deception might give you a temporary boost, but then when
people see through the deception, everything could rapidly go downhill.

At the end of the very first Iron Man film, we see Tony Stark announce that he is
Iron Man. Being honest about this with the public is what gains the trust that he
needs—proving that a good leader and a good person needs to be open and
honest.

24
 27 LIFE LESSONS TO LEARN FROM IRON MAN

LESSON 23:
ACCEPT SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

When you are in a position of authority in any way, be it at work or anywhere

else, it may seem like everything revolves around you.

To be the best that you possibly can, however, you need to look beyond just
yourself and realize that there are certain social responsibilities that you may
need to think about, as well.

For example, if, let’s say, you are in a situation at your workplace where you have
the opportunity to do something that would be of great advantage to you,
personally, but would be disadvantageous to your employees or coworkers, then
you need to consider your social responsibility towards them and make a decision
accordingly.

This is, of course, just one mere example out of the millions of possible scenarios
where you may need to think twice and consider your responsibility towards
others and not put yourself first.

It may be difficult at times, especially because everyone has a selfish side. It is

only natural to want to do whatever feels like it would be the easiest for you,
personally.

However, one of the keys to success and good leadership is to think about
everyone else that is involved in the situation and consider your responsibility
regarding them.

During the first Iron Man movie, we see Tony Stark spend time and effort to
make sure that the dangerous weapons produced by his industry are taken away
from the people that could misuse them. This was because he realized his
responsibility towards other people.

25
 27 LIFE LESSONS TO LEARN FROM IRON MAN

LESSON 24:
DRESS WELL

Appearance is an aspect of a person that is not nearly as significant as their

personality, their confidence and the way that they conduct themselves.

That being said, the way that you dress can not only make a considerable impact
on people upon first meeting them, but it can also help you to feel the best that
you possibly can about yourself, giving you that boost of confidence that we all
need.

For this reason, you should dress well whenever possible. Whether you are going
to work or to a party, focus on clothes that suit your body, your taste and that
make you feel good.

You will notice a huge increase in your self-esteem, which will allow you to open
up to others a lot more easily, and dissolve any shyness or social awkwardness
that otherwise might have hindered you from showing others your true
personality.

Not only that but when you dress well, other people are likely to notice that and
view you with more respect. This is not to say that you need to purchase thousand
dollar designer clothes simply to impress people.

In fact, the actual cost of the clothes does not matter. All that matters is that they
are neat, clean and that you like them.

Throughout the Iron Man movies, we often see Tony Stark dressed impeccably,
either in a suit or a stylish shirt. This simply adds to the confident and suave air
that he has.

26
 27 LIFE LESSONS TO LEARN FROM IRON MAN

LESSON 25:
CONTROL YOUR EMOTIONS

Getting emotional is completely normal. We are all human, after all, and humans
feel an extremely varied range of emotions—sometimes they are reasonable ones,
and sometimes they are unreasonable ones.

That aside, one thing that you need to master if you wish to be successful is the
art of controlling your emotions. Allowing your emotions to overcome you and
get the best of you is a mistake that too many people make.

Whether it is in your social or professional life, being unable to control your

emotions can lead to clashes with other people. Additionally, in a professional
environment especially, allowing yourself to falter because of your emotions can
lead people to believe that you are unprofessional—something that you do not
want.

It is not easy to get the hang of mastering your emotions and concealing the way
you react to things, but it is a skill that is definitely worth the effort. You will need
to alter your habits and practice quite a bit of discipline, but at the end of the day,
it will benefit you greatly.

However, you also need to know that you don’t need to have these barriers up
when you are around the people that you trust and love.

Throughout the Iron Man series, Tony Stark is very skilled at controlling his
emotions and staying cool in many situations, which helps him out quite a lot. He
does, however, also have some problems opening up to the people he cares about.

27
 27 LIFE LESSONS TO LEARN FROM IRON MAN

LESSON 26:
SPEAK SLOWLY AND CAUTIOUSLY

Confidence is pretty difficult to achieve, especially if you are a naturally nervous

and anxious person. What can be even more difficult to achieve, though, is the
appearance of confidence.

When you are in front of certain people to whom you wish to convey that you are
calm, cool and collected, it often seems extra difficult and nearly impossible to
remain relaxed and give off the impression that you are working so hard to give
off.

So, what is one of the simplest yet most effective ways to give off an air of
confidence in these situations? The answer is simple: speak slowly, and think
before you enunciate each word.

This may sound like a strange bit of advice, but it truly does make a difference in
conveying to the listeners that you are relaxed.

Rapidly blurting things out, stuttering and speaking so quickly to the point where
your words are barely intelligible makes it seem like you are intimidated and
anxious.

Before you say a certain sentence, give yourself a few quick moments to truly
think about what you are going to say. Then go ahead and say it with precision yet
caution. Make sure every word is clear and strong, but not overly loud or
obnoxious.

Tony Stark is arguably one of the slickest and confident fictional characters, and
one of his main traits throughout the movies is his slow and calm way of
speaking. This only contributes to his confident appearance, and it can do the
same for you.

28
 27 LIFE LESSONS TO LEARN FROM IRON MAN

LESSON 27:
WORK HARD, PARTY HARD

The very last thing that you need to know to do well in every aspect of life is that
work and play are both equally important, and they need to be balanced out.

It is pretty obvious that partying all the time is not a great idea if you want to be a
productive and successful person, but a lot of people seem to think that becoming
a workaholic is a good thing. While it is true that working night and day might
benefit you in regards to your career, it will cause problems in other important
parts of your life such as your health, your family, your social life, etc.

If you want to achieve the absolute best that you can, then definitely push
yourself towards your goals. Work hard, and truly test your limits to get further
towards achieving what you want.

However, give yourself breaks, too. Allow yourself to cut loose and do things that
you enjoy with people who you enjoy being with. It might be a little tricky, at
times, to figure out the correct balance between having fun and working hard, but
with a little time and perhaps a few slip-ups here and there, you will figure it out.

In the Iron Man series, we see that Tony Stark can be an absolute workaholic at
times, spending days in isolation working on something or the other. We do also
see him letting loose sometimes, too, though. He does maintain a sort of balance
between the two, which is something we should learn from.

29
 27 LIFE LESSONS TO LEARN FROM IRON MAN

CONCLUSION

With that, we have summed up some of the most valuable lessons that any
regular person could take away from the movies in which Iron Man has starred. If
you love the Iron Man movies, applying these lessons to your own life could be
the perfect way to improve your social life, your career and your relationships in a
more interesting and unique way.

The fact that you are getting the advice you need from a source that you actually
enjoy, i.e. the movies, should help you to see how novel the experience of
improving your life can actually be. Instead of having to follow dull, generic
articles with tips that you have heard a million times, why not learn from Iron
Man himself?

At first sight, a superhero movie might seem like the last source you would look
to for ways to motivate yourself regarding aspects of your everyday life.

Most people would watch the Iron Man movies and enjoy them immensely, but
give no special thought to the parts of the movies that you could take home and
make use of. This eBook is what should help you to see the movies in a new light
that will help you to do just that.

These lessons should have provided you with some fresh perspective, allowing
you to see that you do not need to have superhuman powers to be able to take
inspiration from superheroes such as Iron Man.

After all, everyone has a hidden superhero within them.

30
 27 LIFE LESSONS TO LEARN FROM IRON MAN

From the YouTube Channel of

Marvel Entertainment

Marvel Comics and The Walt Disney Company salute the life and career of
Stan Lee and offer our undying gratitude for his unmatchable
accomplishments within our halls.
Please join us in remembering Stan "The Man" Lee.

Remembering Stan Lee

1922 - 2018

31