Summary

Journalist Tom Junod's assignment to uncover the dark side of Fred Rogers, known as Mister Rogers, led to the discovery that Rogers' public persona was genuine, rooted in a life of intentional kindness and self-improvement, embodying the principles of a self-made superhero through daily habits and a consistent lifestyle.

Abstract

In an attempt to expose the hidden flaws of the beloved children's television host Mister Rogers, journalist Tom Junod embarked on a journey that would challenge his cynicism. Expecting to find a contradiction to Rogers' on-screen benevolence, Junod instead found a man whose life was a testament to the power of consistent, deliberate practice of kindness. Rogers' interactions with a 14-year-old boy with cerebral palsy particularly demonstrated his authenticity and deep commitment to his values. Junod came to realize that Rogers' superhero-like influence was not a facade but the result of disciplined daily habits, including a symbolic morning routine of weighing himself at 143 pounds—a code for "I love you." Rogers' approach to life suggested that anyone could achieve a form of superhero status through dedication to personal ethics and the well-being of others. This revelation led Junod to understand that the essence of being a superhero lies in the ability to love and accept oneself and others, just as Mister Rogers did.

Opinions

Tom Junod initially believed that Mister Rogers' consistently positive and kind demeanor could not be genuine and expected to find a more complex or flawed character beneath the surface.
Junod was surprised to discover that Mister Rogers' kindness was not a performance but a deeply ingrained practice, developed over a lifetime of intentional living.
Mister Rogers viewed his interactions with others, particularly those facing challenges, as spiritually significant, valuing their prayers and believing in their closeness to God.
The article suggests that Mister Rogers' daily routine, including his stable weight, prayer life, and other disciplined habits, was central to his identity and influence.
Mister Rogers is compared to Batman, as both figures created their superhero identities through daily practices and personal discipline, without the need for inherent supernatural powers or vast wealth.
The narrative emphasizes that becoming a superhero in one's own life is achievable through consistent, positive daily habits and the acceptance of one's own humanity, flaws and all.
The article conveys that Mister Rogers' legacy is one of inspiring others to believe in the power of small, consistent acts of kindness and self-improvement as a path to becoming the best version of themselves.

How to Be a Self-Made Superhero Like Mister Rogers

He built his life around a secret code for love

The Cynical Journalist Determined to Find Mister Rogers’ Dark Secret

When journalist Tom Junod got assigned to write about the legendary kids’ TV presenter Fred Rogers, he planned to dish the dirt. Junod had recently outed Kevin Spacey as gay. He had no qualms in asking difficult questions, uncovering the truth, and writing a controversial story.

Junod couldn’t believe that Mister Rogers’ on-screen persona reflected reality. There had to be a dark underbelly to Mister Rogers’ unceasing joy and belief in human potential. Junod was sure of that, and he’d be the one to uncover it.

As Junod spent hours involved in Mister Rogers’ life, hanging out at his home and with his family, he found something that shocked him more than he thought was possible.

Kindness is a Practice

Mister Rogers invited Junod along with him to meet a 14-year-old boy with cerebral palsy. The boy loved Mister Rogers’ TV show. His mom said her son lived for that show. The boy got so nervous about meeting his favorite person from TV, that when the meeting happened, he acted up. His mom had to take him out of the room, to allow him space to calm down. Mister Rogers waited for the boy to return.

When the meeting finally happened, Mister Rogers asked the boy to pray for him. After the meeting, Junod told Mister Rogers that was a smart thing to do, it would make the boy feel special. Mister Rogers replied that it wasn’t about the boy — he wanted the boy’s prayers. He said to Junod: “I didn’t ask him for his prayers for him; I asked for me. I asked him because I think that anyone who has gone through challenges like that must be very close to God. I asked him because I wanted his intercession.”

Junod came to discover that Mister Rogers was able to act with genuine kindness in so many different situations because he’d spent a lifetime practicing kindness. Years after meeting Mister Rogers, Junod reflected: “Obviously he has a lesson to teach about kindness, but I think that he also has a lesson to teach about the attainment of kindness, that kindness is a practice.”

Here’s the shocking thing that Junod discovered:

The onscreen persona was exactly who Mister Rogers was in his daily life.

Mister Rogers Bootstrapped His Superpowers

When Junod met Mister Rogers, he found an American superhero whose powers were built on daily habits. In other words. Mister Rogers was a self-made superhero who pulled himself up by his bootstraps. His identity was created by his daily habits, how he looked after himself, and how he engaged with others.

In an interview with TIME Magazine, Junod compares Mister Rogers to Batman:

“Batman didn’t have any superpowers. He made himself into a superhero with his utility belt and all his training.”

Mister Rogers made himself into a superhero by training himself in kindness.

Mister Rogers’ Daily Routine Was Centered Around this One Weird Habit

Mister Rogers had a daily habit that seems a little weird. He stepped on the scales each morning to check his weight, and each morning he was 143lbs. This was his code for “I love you”.

I — made up of 1 letter
Love — 4 letters
You — 3 letters

And so you get 143.

Mister Rogers felt this number was significant in reminding him to live from a place of love. So he established his whole pattern of life around sustaining this weight. Here’s what Junod found as he spent time with Mister Rogers.

Every day, Mister Rogers refuses to do anything that would make his weight change — he neither drinks, nor smokes, nor eats flesh of any kind, nor goes to bed late at night, nor sleeps late in the morning, nor even watches television.

Mister Rogers also engaged in other habits that sustained him and his soul:

He got up every morning and prayed for anyone who had written to him requesting prayer, at 5.30 am
After praying he used the early morning to write and study
He took a nap every afternoon.

He also didn’t take himself too seriously. His widow has said that he told dirty jokes on a regular basis to make her laugh.

After allowing Junod to see him practicing all these habits, Mister Rogers told him: “Well, Tom, I guess you’ve already gotten a deeper glimpse into my daily routine than most people have.”

You Don’t Need to Be Born on Krypton or Have Billions of Dollars to Be a Superhero

Superman is born on the planet Krypton with supernatural abilities. Batman decided to be a superhero, and he created a reality for himself where this was possible — albeit by spending millions of dollars.

Like Batman, Mister Rogers created a superhero reality, but without the need for supernatural abilities or billions of dollars. Mister Rogers achieved his superhero status in a much more humble way: with simple, daily habits. It really is that easy, and that challenging. You don’t need all the money and technology that Batman had. But you do need a determined mindset and steadfast daily habits.

You can bootstrap your way to being an ordinary superhero. It’s about who you are on a daily basis. It’s about how you show up each morning, afternoon, and evening. It’s about the secret codes you chose to live by. It’s about what you do to make your loved ones laugh.

You might not be able to jump between skyscrapers on your human-sized webbing or fly at supersonic speeds across the sky. Your power will be more than that.

[Mister Rogers] wanted to tell children that what starts out little can sometimes become big, and so [they] could devote themselves to little dreams . — Tom Junod

The Best Superhero You Can Be is Yourself

I recently got asked at a party game: “If you could be any superhero, who would you be?” I answered quickly, without really thinking. I picked Superman because he can fly.

But when I recently learned the superhero secrets of Mister Rogers, I wished I’d picked him. Which in reality, means picking myself, exactly as I am, and fully accepting myself. As Mr. Rogers put it:

“When we love a person, we accept him or her exactly as is: the lovely with the unlovely, the strong with the fearful, the true mixed in with the façade, and of course, the only way we can do it is by accepting ourselves that way.”