Mania, and Depression. Heroes, and Villains.

This sounds like a revision of the Jungian approach to literary analysis, in the light of modern DSM-esque language.

It has become quite trendy to discuss the dynamics of depression - and so I have been wondering why I am not like my friends who are depressed. My quick take has been that I swing the other way, which is to say, in the lingo, I am manic.

This duality is quite fun to study. Depressaics are treated by engaging in positive thinking, and therefore Manics are treated by engaging in negative thinking. Without prejudice, thinking here refers to thought followed by the relevant actions. On the scale of Depression -> Wariness -> Emptiness -> Confidence -> Mania ... the function of therapy is simply to move one towards the mean of Emptiness.

Therein we find in literature, the trope of the manic villain, which corresponds to the trope of the hero that journeys / comes of age. Such a villain is often cast as having grand plans, which are then deflated by the plot. Such a hero is often cast as having deficient aspirations, which are then inflated by the plot.

It is a rough symmetry.

So, in literature, particularly comics of the era ... this is how heroes are defined. They are relatable to depressaics, and so the literary form of comic book heroism appeals more to the reader demographic who lacks confidence in life.