---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: On a purely personal level, it's very…"
description: "\"On a purely personal level, it's very strange, because as a kid, Superman informed my personality. Now I've been given the job of forming Superman's pe..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5e/j-michael-straczynski-2548_backgrounds_on-a-purely-personal-level-it-s-very-str_2923852.jpg"
---

#  On a purely personal level, it's very strange, because as…

![“On a purely personal level, it's very strange, because as a kid, Superman informed my personality. Now I've been given the job of forming Superman's personality and, in some ways, drawing on my own background.” quote by J. Michael Straczynski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5e/j-michael-straczynski-2548_backgrounds_on-a-purely-personal-level-it-s-very-str_2923852.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5e/j-michael-straczynski-2548_backgrounds_on-a-purely-personal-level-it-s-very-str_2923852.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5e/j-michael-straczynski-2548_backgrounds_on-a-purely-personal-level-it-s-very-str_2923852.jpg)

> “On a purely personal level, it's very strange, because as a kid, Superman informed my personality. Now I've been given the job of forming Superman's personality and, in some ways, drawing on my own background.”

[J. Michael Straczynski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-michael-straczynski/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Explores personal connection to Superman and role in shaping his character

**In simple terms:** Superman shaped his youth, now shapes Superman

Key Takeaway

Reflect on personal influences in creative work

Themes

identity creativity legacy

Mood

introspective creative

Type

interview personal essay

When to use this quote

- writing projects
- character redesign
- mentor‑mentee dynamics

Key Concepts

character development personal narrative

Questions to Reflect On

- How does personal history influence character creation?
- What responsibilities come with redefining iconic figures?

A Different Perspective

Balancing personal bias with audience expectations can be tricky

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Comic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comic/) [Job](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/job/) [Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jobs/) [Kids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kids/) [Personality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personality/) [Superman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/superman/)

## Related quotes

> [To get to wear the costume of Evel Knievel, are you kidding me? When I was a kid, I had Superman. I had Spiderman.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eads/to-get-to-wear-the-costume-of-evel-knievel-are-you-kidding-me-when-i/)

[George Eads](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eads/)

> [For me, growing up in a ridiculously poor family living in dead-end neighborhoods, Superman was a deeply personal icon, one that said you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-michael-straczynski/for-me-growing-up-in-a-ridiculously-poor-family-living-in-dead-end/)

[J. Michael Straczynski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-michael-straczynski/)

> [For a lot of people, Superman is and has always been America's hero. He stands for what we believe is the best within us:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-michael-straczynski/for-a-lot-of-people-superman-is-and-has-always-been-america-s-hero-he/)

[J. Michael Straczynski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-michael-straczynski/)

> [If there’s any other message in this to readers, it’s in these two characters as icons of hope, that it doesn’t make any difference…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-michael-straczynski/if-there-s-any-other-message-in-this-to-readers-it-s-in-these-two/)

[J. Michael Straczynski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-michael-straczynski/)

> [Who says I'm not Superman?" You were looking at me with one eye closed against the sun. I shrugged "You would have recued me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-christopher/who-says-i-m-not-superman-you-were-looking-at-me-with-one-eye-closed/)

[Lucy Christopher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-christopher/)

> [My dream is to make a Superman hero that's gay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-daniels/my-dream-is-to-make-a-superman-hero-that-s-gay/)

[Lee Daniels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-daniels/)

> [To the world you might be just a guy but to me you are my world, my SUPERMAN. Love you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine/to-the-world-you-might-be-just-a-guy-but-to-me-you-are-my-world-my/)

[Josephine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine/)

> [Even Superman's name reflects his creators' biblical knowledge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-feiler/even-superman-s-name-reflects-his-creators-biblical-knowledge/)

[Bruce Feiler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-feiler/)

> [Superman, where are you now, when everything's gone wrong somehow?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/genesis/superman-where-are-you-now-when-everything-s-gone-wrong-somehow/)

[Genesis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/genesis/)

> [I knew very little about 'Spider-Man'. I grew up more in the 'Superman' generation. 'Spider-Man' - I didn't know so much. But it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willem-dafoe/i-knew-very-little-about-spider-man-i-grew-up-more-in-the-superman/)

[Willem Dafoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willem-dafoe/)

> [“He has also worked as a shop assistant, bicycle-repair mechanic, journalist, actor, eccentric dancer, and mail-order bride. He has never worked for MI5. Don’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-r-green/he-has-also-worked-as-a-shop-assistant-bicycle-repair-mechanic/)

[Simon R. Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-r-green/)

> [My dad was not a footballer. He wasn't anything remotely what the average person would say was a role model - but in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/troy-deeney/my-dad-was-not-a-footballer-he-wasn-t-anything-remotely-what-the/)

[Troy Deeney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/troy-deeney/)

> [I teach you beyond Man (superman). Man is something that shall be surpassed. What have you done to surpass him?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/i-teach-you-beyond-man-superman-man-is-something-that-shall-be/)

[Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/)

> [It is true that from a behavioral economics perspective we are fallible, easily confused, not that smart, and often irrational. We are more like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/it-is-true-that-from-a-behavioral-economics-perspective-we-are/)

[Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/)

> [I identify with Superman. I am adopted, I am an only child, and I love the idea that he comes from another world, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-singer/i-identify-with-superman-i-am-adopted-i-am-an-only-child-and-i-love/)

[Bryan Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-singer/)

## More by J. Michael Straczynski

> [“Sometimes the pain they wish to spare is their own because if you can be convinced to set aside your own dreams, they can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-michael-straczynski/sometimes-the-pain-they-wish-to-spare-is-their-own-because-if-you-can/)

[J. Michael Straczynski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-michael-straczynski/)

> [A movie is a movie and a book is a book, and they have different rules.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-michael-straczynski/a-movie-is-a-movie-and-a-book-is-a-book-and-they-have-different-rules/)

[J. Michael Straczynski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-michael-straczynski/)

> [Never follow somebody else's path; it doesn't work the same way twice for anyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-michael-straczynski/never-follow-somebody-else-s-path-it-doesn-t-work-the-same-way-twice/)

[J. Michael Straczynski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-michael-straczynski/)

> [“If you're going to have delusions, you might as well go for the really satisfying ones.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-michael-straczynski/if-you-re-going-to-have-delusions-you-might-as-well-go-for-the-really/)

[J. Michael Straczynski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-michael-straczynski/)

> [I'm sorry, but anyone who thinks the use of an angelic (or seemingly angelic character), whose likes have been written about for, oh, about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-michael-straczynski/i-m-sorry-but-anyone-who-thinks-the-use-of-an-angelic-or-seemingly/)

[J. Michael Straczynski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-michael-straczynski/)

> [I'm a big believer in the idea that while we are the sum of our tears, we are also the product of our choices…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-michael-straczynski/i-m-a-big-believer-in-the-idea-that-while-we-are-the-sum-of-our-tears/)

[J. Michael Straczynski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-michael-straczynski/)

> [On a certain level, I don't think there is an answer to what the American way is, because it is constantly being re-defined. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-michael-straczynski/on-a-certain-level-i-don-t-think-there-is-an-answer-to-what-the/)

[J. Michael Straczynski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-michael-straczynski/)

> [I always knew that I was going to be a writer. There was no question in my mind about that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-michael-straczynski/i-always-knew-that-i-was-going-to-be-a-writer-there-was-no-question/)

[J. Michael Straczynski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-michael-straczynski/)

> [Like everyone else, I am going to die. But the words - the words live on for as long as there are readers to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-michael-straczynski/like-everyone-else-i-am-going-to-die-but-the-words-the-words-live-on/)

[J. Michael Straczynski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-michael-straczynski/)

> [I'm delirious with joy. It proves that if you confront the universe with good intentions in your heart, it will reflect that and reward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-michael-straczynski/i-m-delirious-with-joy-it-proves-that-if-you-confront-the-universe/)

[J. Michael Straczynski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-michael-straczynski/)

> [You know, I used to think it was awful that life was so unfair. Then I thought, wouldn't it be much worse if life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-michael-straczynski/you-know-i-used-to-think-it-was-awful-that-life-was-so-unfair-then-i/)

[J. Michael Straczynski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-michael-straczynski/)

> [“We have an obligation to one another, responsibilities and trusts. That does not mean we must be pigeons, that we must be exploited. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-michael-straczynski/we-have-an-obligation-to-one-another-responsibilities-and-trusts-that/)

[J. Michael Straczynski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-michael-straczynski/)

> [Whenever you can bring your chops in as a reporter to unearth a cool story, that's always a good thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-michael-straczynski/whenever-you-can-bring-your-chops-in-as-a-reporter-to-unearth-a-cool/)

[J. Michael Straczynski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-michael-straczynski/)

> [Everyone in the entertainment business gets crappy contracts when we start out, and into the middle of our careers. It's the nature of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-michael-straczynski/everyone-in-the-entertainment-business-gets-crappy-contracts-when-we/)

[J. Michael Straczynski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-michael-straczynski/)

> [When the mob and the press and the whole world tell you to move, your job is to plant yourself like a tree by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-michael-straczynski/when-the-mob-and-the-press-and-the-whole-world-tell-you-to-move-your/)

[J. Michael Straczynski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-michael-straczynski/)

[Explore all 161 J. Michael Straczynski quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-michael-straczynski/)

## More Backgrounds quotes

> [We do not want to be reminded that it is we, the indigenous people, who are poor and exploited in the land of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-biko/we-do-not-want-to-be-reminded-that-it-is-we-the-indigenous-people-who/)

[Steven Biko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-biko/)

> [When you see how fragile and delicate life can be, all else fades into the background.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenna-morasca/when-you-see-how-fragile-and-delicate-life-can-be-all-else-fades-into/)

[Jenna Morasca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenna-morasca/)

> [Worship is not about personality, temperament, personal limitations, church background, or comfort. It is about God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wimber/worship-is-not-about-personality-temperament-personal-limitations/)

[John Wimber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wimber/)

> [Eventually the consumer will come to appreciate the editorial point of view of every different brand. User-generated content without editorial oversight will simply be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eisner/eventually-the-consumer-will-come-to-appreciate-the-editorial-point/)

[Michael Eisner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eisner/)

> [I bring my classical training - some of it, but not all of it - and also my background and culture, to spirituals. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-battle/i-bring-my-classical-training-some-of-it-but-not-all-of-it-and-also/)

[Kathleen Battle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-battle/)

> [The acting background helped a lot when I started writing. I was training for it. In acting class they teach you about the stakes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-higgins-clark/the-acting-background-helped-a-lot-when-i-started-writing-i-was/)

[Carol Higgins Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-higgins-clark/)

> [In the dim background of our mind we know meanwhile what we ought to be doing: getting up, dressing ourselves, answering the person who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/in-the-dim-background-of-our-mind-we-know-meanwhile-what-we-ought-to/)

[William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/)

> [I think it is a sin to look at another person as inferior to yourself because of race or because of ethnic background and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/i-think-it-is-a-sin-to-look-at-another-person-as-inferior-to-yourself/)

[Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/)

> [The thing that is making jazz healthy today is that people are coming out of other backgrounds - from rock, folk, from ethnic music.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-taylor/the-thing-that-is-making-jazz-healthy-today-is-that-people-are-coming/)

Billy Taylor

> [We do not have to be ashamed of what we are. As sentient beings we have wonderful backgrounds. These backgrounds may not be particularly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chogyam-trungpa/we-do-not-have-to-be-ashamed-of-what-we-are-as-sentient-beings-we/)

[Chogyam Trungpa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chogyam-trungpa/)

> [People from my sort of background needed grammar schools to compete with children from privileged homes like Shirley Williams and Anthony Wedgwood Benn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/people-from-my-sort-of-background-needed-grammar-schools-to-compete/)

[Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/)

> [Persons who have cleansed themselves of any transgression and who have shown their ability to deal with homosexual inclinations and put them in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallin-h-oaks/persons-who-have-cleansed-themselves-of-any-transgression-and-who/)

[Dallin H. Oaks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallin-h-oaks/)

> [I come from a theater background, so I always like to dissect the scene and try to get some hint about what the author…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adina-porter/i-come-from-a-theater-background-so-i-always-like-to-dissect-the/)

[Adina Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adina-porter/)

> [And, of course, some SF is set close enough to here and now that Anglo and European do apply. Since many of the writers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-schmidt/and-of-course-some-sf-is-set-close-enough-to-here-and-now-that-anglo/)

[Stanley Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-schmidt/)

> [For me, I try to look at a person's swagger and a little background on them if I already haven't liked them as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bivins/for-me-i-try-to-look-at-a-person-s-swagger-and-a-little-background-on/)

[Michael Bivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bivins/)

Browse all 1,648 Backgrounds quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "On a purely personal level, it's very strange, because as a kid, Superman informed my personality. Now I've been given the job of forming Superman's personality and, in some ways, drawing on my own background.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "J. Michael Straczynski"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-michael-straczynski/on-a-purely-personal-level-it-s-very-strange-because-as-a-kid/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Backgrounds"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-michael-straczynski/on-a-purely-personal-level-it-s-very-strange-because-as-a-kid/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5e/j-michael-straczynski-2548_backgrounds_on-a-purely-personal-level-it-s-very-str_2923852.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5e/j-michael-straczynski-2548_backgrounds_on-a-purely-personal-level-it-s-very-str_2923852.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5e/j-michael-straczynski-2548_backgrounds_on-a-purely-personal-level-it-s-very-str_2923852.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“On a purely personal level, it's very strange, because as a kid, Superman informed my personality. Now I've…” — J. Michael Straczynski",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "J. Michael Straczynski",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-michael-straczynski/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "On a purely personal level, it's...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-michael-straczynski/on-a-purely-personal-level-it-s-very-strange-because-as-a-kid/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-michael-straczynski/on-a-purely-personal-level-it-s-very-strange-because-as-a-kid/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
