Being a sidekick comes with perks. You don't need to make any difficult decisions, yet you sometimes get to experience situations you wouldn't dream to be a part of otherwise. Given that you're reasonably aligned with your hero, you can be a part of a good cause and feel mighty good about yourself. You have something to do with your time and you get to spend a lot of time with a person that you think is much better than you. Still, I feel like very few people of my time are sidekicks. Everyone needs to be a hero themselves. Independence is one of our society's highest values. People who just do as they're told are looked down upon.
At the workplace, where hierarchies are usually clearly defined, we automatically value the people at the top of the hierarchies higher. They earn more money, they get more perks and have a much easier time bragging about it at the bar. But is it always the people at the top who contribute the most to the success of whatever the business is doing? Is it really necessary that everyone tries to climb the ranks?
Romantic relationships are more independent than ever, as both partners focus on their individual careers. Women who focus on supporting their husband's career are shunned by liberals. Men who try to support their wife's career are shunned by conservatives. "What does it matter what the conservatives think?", say the liberals. "Why listen to the liberals?", say the conservatives. But the truth is that relationships have become too uncertain to make yourself completely dependent on your partner, so you have to do your own thing. But is it really the best outcome for everyone if everyone fights for themselves? Aren't the most successful people those who have someone who has their back?
What is your immediate reaction if you meet someone who is clearly better than you? Do you deny it and pretend that you are actually better than them? Do you hate them and try to become better than them by constantly fighting them? Are you scared of them and go somewhere else, so you can be the best, at least where you are? Do you just accept that some people are better than you, as you never tried to be anything more than average? What I bet you don't think is: Hey, maybe I can become their sidekick so I can tag along for the ride.
Maybe you should consider this sometimes. If you can manage your ego, that is.
