When people are asked which superhero power they’d most like to possess – to fly or to be invisible – it turns out the majority dream of invisibility. What’s more, there’s often a mischievous reasoning behind it. They’re driven by an impulse to spy, to learn secrets, to slip into places such as bank vaults unnoticed. Rarely do we associate invisibility with nobility, a trait aimed at making the world a better place. Instead, we see it as a way to get ahead.
Ironically, when age grants us the gift of actual invisibility, many of us mourn it. We lament the days of being seen, being noticed, being desired. But I have discovered that fading away from the public view can bring with it a surprising sense of freedom.
In my 20s and 30s, I would sometimes catch eyes, feel the weight of attention in a crowded room. By my 40s, that began to change. Now at 52, I can walk through grocery stores, airports, conferences, and busy streets almost unnoticed.
And I don’t mind it. In fact, I cherish it.
This invisibility allows me to observe others and immerse myself in life’s quieter moments. I can watch a young couple flirting from across the café. I can stand in line at the concert and hear snippets of casual, unguarded conversations.
Perhaps this invisibility isn’t a loss, but a preparation for life’s ultimate transition. One day, I’ll disappear entirely, only my spirit remaining in the hearts of loved ones. One day, we’ll all be truly invisible.
That’s why invisibility can be a gift now. As we approach old age and the loss of our mortal bodies, we can grow accustomed to gently fading away. Slowly, we can learn to release our attachments to our own image, our story.
Invisibility teaches us to appreciate the world in its raw beauty, to marvel at the sway of palm fronds in the breeze or the eternal crash of waves upon the shore. These moments might serve to remind us that we are only a small part of something vast and unending—brief flutters of waves in an ocean that has seen countless waves come and go.
In our slow fading, there is a chance for the ego to soften, to let go of its constant striving. All our lives, we’ve been conditioned to achieve, to “be someone,” to leave a mark. Yet with each year that passes, we come to recognize the illusion of it all—the truth that none of this, not the applause nor the recognition nor the possessions, money and acclaim, endures.
Thus, ironically, our growing invisibility liberates us from the need to be seen. And perhaps, in that liberation, we can finally love more freely and act more selflessly. It allows us to help others, to serve, and to give without a need for validation, knowing that our actions speak for themselves—even if we’re no longer front and center.
The true superhero power of invisibility isn’t avoiding detection, but rather becoming a vessel for something far greater. In our quiet, unobserved moments, we become purer in our love, our actions, and our intentions. And we discover, at last, that the greatest power is simply to be, without needing to be seen.
-MeiMei
MeiMei Fox, a 2x New York Times bestselling author and FORBES contributor, is the Founder and CEO of Your Bestselling Book. Her company offers a la carte solutions from book coaching, to ghostwriting, to an intimate 6-week course in community with other high achievers — all aimed at helping you author and publish your non-fiction book or memoir.