As the second poster said, Superman "stands for" truth and justice.
Superman is a symbol. An idea. He is a summation of American values. And while he spawned the whole genre of "superheroes," he really isn't one of them. I couldn't tell you what Aquaman or Plastic Man really represent, but Superman is a different matter, a character you can really get behind and believe in.
Despite being a fictional character, Superman has impacted the world in a very real way. In our world, Superman literally has fought Hitler, the KKK, and paralysis, without even really existing. That's pretty super.
Well, I'm not American, so for me Superman's qualities do not really stand
for American values, but in general for "the best of humanity"-qualities.
Pure idealism and intelligence combined with enormous phsysical strength .. sometimes I think it's mainly idealism what the world lacks.
Can you explain what Superman's impact on the real world is like?