Raluca Florescu

Perception is very important for people. The way people perceive someone creates value for that person. Value is not only about what someone is, but about how that person is seen and talked about.

When a person becomes visible in a certain way, people start to build an image of that person. That image influences how others behave toward them. If someone is perceived as confident, charismatic, or important, they will receive better treatment. If someone is perceived as uncertain or not important, the treatment will be different.

This is how value is created socially. It comes from perception, not only from reality.

The Spiderman syndrome describes the situation where a person becomes valuable because of the way they are presented and spoken about in public. In the Spider-Man example, the character becomes known and respected because he is constantly shown in good poses through photos. These images create a strong public perception.

In reality, the person behind that image may not fully match what is being shown. However, people respond to the image that is repeated and visible, not to the full reality.

A person becomes important in the public eye when others start to talk about them and present them in a certain way. This repeated visibility builds an identity in people’s minds, and that identity creates value.