Imagine Thanos had Social Anxiety Disorder. Can’t see it, huh? Neither could we. His mind is way to strong for such (not so) miniscule things.
One of the most compelling characters in motion picture history, Thanos has left his mark on people across the world (it’s more like the universe actually). This guy is the most determined man that has ever existed. No joke! He does what needs to be done in order to accomplish goals. No matter how absurd that goal is.
“With all six stones I could simply snap my fingers. They would all cease to exist. I call that, mercy”
Thanos, Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Now I know what you’re thinking: “Bro, this guy wiped out half the universe. Why the eff would anyone want to be Thanos!?”
Completely agree you with you on that. Thanos did remove half of all life from existence. He is the ultimate villain! But what I’m suggesting is not to follow in his footsteps, collect the infinity stones, and snap away all those lives. Rather what I’m suggesting is to develop the strength of mind that Thanos has.
“The hardest choices require the strongest wills.”
Thanos, Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Thanos’ Mind
Think about it. How many times have we seen people in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) try to stop Thanos from carrying out his plan to wipe away trillions of lives? We saw Argardians try to stop him when he boarded their ship. We saw the Guardians of the Galaxy try to stop him on Knowhere and again on Titan. Ironman, Spiderman, and Dr. Strange travelled to Titan and failed. Then we saw the war breakout in Wakanda. Not to mention all the other wars we didn’t see like when he destroyed Xandar for the power stone, destroyed Gamora’s planet before he took her, and destroyed countless other planets while searching for the stones in years prior.
Yo even his own people on Titan tried, (and actually succeeded), in stopping him before their planet became extinct from the consequences of overpopulation. They exiled him out into outer space only for him to return later on after they were all destroyed. This was his turning point. He saw what happened to his home world, developed his mind & body into a brilliant weapon, took control of an army, and became The Mad Titan. This is when he started his search for the Infinity Stones.
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
The point is that after he set his goals on “saving” other worlds across the universe from the same fate as Titan, his mind was stronger than ever. No one could convince him that what he was doing was wrong. Not the Avengers, not the Guardians of the Galaxy, not even his own adopted daughters Gamora and Nebula. In fact, he sacrificed his favorite daughter Gamora to acquire one of the stones. He was invincibly convinced because his mind was warped into this belief. No matter what anyone said or did, they were wrong and Thanos was right. He would keep going and nothing could stop him.
That is how you can solve so many of your problems, including the dreaded Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD); the cause of Red Face.
CBT – the Thanos Mind Treatment for Social Anxiety Disorder
So how can such a strong, warped mind manage SAD. Well, in reality, developing an inconceivably stubborn mind like Thanos may not be realistic. For him, it had to do with his upbringing on Titan which contributed to his mental strength. But for the rest of us, the best way to develop that “Thanos mind” is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). This is like the gold standard for treating Social Anxiety Disorder. We just need to be strong enough to start it, and even stronger, to stick with it.
So your next question should be, what in the name of blue cheese is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)?
Avengers: Infinity War (2018
CBT is a a type of therapy which helps you recognize faulty thinking and helps you better understand where the problems are coming from in your mind. There are volumes of evidence showing that CBT is effective in resolving and preventing relapses of mental/behavioral health disorders, like SAD.
Check this out: the American Psychological Association (APA) describes one of the strategies of CBT as “Facing one’s fears instead of avoiding them.” That is significant for SAD sufferers because in order to conquer your fears, such as being in a social situation, your mind has to be strong. Really strong! Like Thanos strong!
In other words, someone with SAD would have to face their fears in a social setting, knowing that they are going to develop the humiliating and embarrassing Red Face. If you know what I’m talking about, then you’ll know how extraordinarily difficult it is to go through this. It is a type of trauma for someone with SAD to experience and your mind will need to be strong enough to endure.
Although this could be difficult, a CBT therapist would work with you to make sure that you are ready before entering into the triggering social situation. But when the time comes, be aware that it will be difficult. That is why you need a Thanos mind.
The good news is that once you start throwing yourself into those scary social situations, eventually you will develop a sense of immunity and desensitization. Things will get easier. You won’t develop Red Face so easily anymore and you’ll feel more comfortable. At that point, you’ll be so happy that you did it. It will be worth it.
If you have Social Anxiety Disorder, than all you need to do now is make the decision to start CBT.
“The hardest choices require the strongest wills.”
Thanos, Avengers: Infinity War (2018)