Main Character Syndrome: Why You Should Be Self-Centered
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- Опубликовано: 21 сен 2024
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Is being self-centered a bad thing? Not according to the TikTok trend of Main Character Syndrome. So, how can you become the protagonist of your story? Fundamentally, Main Character Syndrome is acting as though your life is a movie, and you’re the star. It’s about living life cinematically, romanticizing even the smallest of moments, and curating the best parts of your story.
But Main Character Syndrome can also become toxic. It might involve casting others around you as minor characters in your Oscar-worthy life -- and writing them into your story without much regard for their feelings and inner worlds. On the surface, it sounds a lot like a narcissistic personality disorder. But the reason so many are embracing it is that (in moderation) it can actually be positive and empowering, especially for those not used to feeling like a main character or being encouraged to think of themselves that way.
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Could you guys do a video focusing on Muslim/middle eastern women in media, especially how they’re depicted In MEA region by western media. I think this is SUCH an important topic with what has been / is continuing to happening in Afghanistan
there was a student just trying to take his biology test while miley cyrus was choregraphing the bone dance to go to europe.
the key word here is IN MODERATION because this mindset can be pretty toxic if it gets out of hand
Exactlyyyyyyy
Let's be honest, it almost always gets out of hand.
Yep, I mean we are still social animals
True
Like with lots of "influencers".
We're all the protagonist in our own story, but we could be the antagonist in someone else's. "Crazy Ex Girlfriend" even had an entire song about this.
I'm the antagonist in my own story....
holy crap i was just about to write that
Does that mean we all have to do ballet in dinosaur costumes?! (If you haven't seen CXG, binge it!)
That's saying that life is a story which it isn't
the voices in my head are the antagonist, well
a few of them.
I think we all have main character syndrome, to some extent. Our individual perspective is the only one we are capable of perceiving. Because we can’t live outside of own perception, it’s probably relatively normal to feel as though reality revolves around us, even though we know it does not.
I don't. Even in my life I'm the funny sidekick.
It’s kind of cynical, but it’s the truth.
Jokes on you I can somehow feel what people feel and I also an apathetic to most people! Trauma am I right?
Indeed, that's solipsism.
@@TheMajorStranger jokes on you, my self esteem is at a cripping all time low that my story would be the most boring story ever written
I often find the side characters more interesting and relatable than the main characters, so I wouldn’t mind being a side character as long as I’m treated like a human being instead of a prop, and get my own arc that allows me to be who I am and find my own purpose regardless of the main character.
Exactly, I've always been more fascinated with the best friend, who is normally black or another race, who merely exists to prop up the usually white protagonist, yet we hardly ever hear their story, or really know them as well as the main character.
I don't get your thought process but you do you
@@nineveh17 I was pretty clear, but I guess not everyone has decent reading comprehension.
Same same. Don't know what it is about side characters that makes me want to obsess over them. Like, the main character's fine and all, but what's that guy in the background up to?
Anyway, I'm just a side/supporting character with agency.
I'd just rather not be grandiose in the first place.
How would you feel if you found out your whole life was like The Truman Show, but... plot twist... you weren't the main character? It was all about the cafe employee you see a few times a week but have never spoken with beyond placing your order.
Like blue shirt guy from free guy
I'd be so relieved! I don't want people in my business
IIRC, everyone in the Truman show other than Truman was an actor paid to play someone, if even just to be an extra. No one ever approached me and said, "Hey, how would you like to be in a show focusing on a cafe employee?"
@@NJGuy1973 Dude, that's exactly the dark twist he was proposing, your life was like TTS, but you weren't an extra in on the truth, you thought it was real too, but you weren''t Truman.
@@jbtechcon7434 So the dark twist he's proposing is that I was plucked from birth into a simulation and that everything that's happened to me is fake.
That's a relief. It means no mistakes I ever made were my fault. It's all scripted.
Seriously, you ever notice that only people who hate their lives talk about life being like the Matrix or the Truman Show? It means we can take a pill or walk out a door and start over again. Well, we can't. Life isn't a video game. We can't just hit Reset.
It’s like Durarara. Every character is making their own way through life. Each with their own motivations, pasts, and reasons that brought them to Ikebukuro. Every character tries to find what they want out of life. And at times (a lot of times) their stories intersect.
Never heard that anime for years. Omg.
Yes, I always felt like the city was the main character 💀
Ahh, that’s a nice comparison. I never liked the show that much, but two of the characters, who made a guest appearance, were from the anime Baccano!. I’m sorry for the spoiler but they were turned into immortals at the end of the show and I think that if they lived such a quiet life for centuries without being anyone special then that’s okay too.
@@LoveAndSnapple I remember that! There was a scene where there was a bunch of people, and I saw them and went, “Is that Isaac and Miria?” I want to watch Bacanno, but it’s not on any streaming service.
Of course im the protagonist of my own life but am I the only one who is thrilled by the fact i could be the antagonist in someone else's? Power move right there.
No, i don’t wanna be someone else’s nightmare
I'm sure Jeff Bezos thinks it's a power move to be the enemy of his warehouse workers. He probably gets off to it.
I think that depends on what you did to become the antagonist. I happen to know I’m the antagonist in SEVERAL people’s stories, and honestly, I don’t find it very empowering at all.
@@laurelelizabeth4965 same. I actually feel guilty and constantly think about how they felt and how Im a shitty person.
@@crybabyfish1647 If you’re able to feel guilty, you’re probably not as shitty as you think you are
This reminds me a little of Walter Peck in "Ghostbusters." As it's their story, he's seen as the Villain. But as you get older, you realise that he has valid reasons for wanting to get the Ghostbusters shut down, and probably views himself as the hero.
All he needed to do was say "Please". Tut Tut 🤣
OOF
Well they were running an unsupervised, unlicensed, unregulated nuclear generator in Manhattan.
I pretended to be a main character in a movie a lot. It helps reduce my anxiety and self hatered. I don’t think I’m pretty but I know others do. I do t have the highest confidence but I know when I go in a room full of men and act like I’m the main character with the camera on me doing small things to bring attention to myself I’ll catch someone’s eye and have someone to make me feel good about myself. When I’m on miserable road trips I stare out a window and have a main character monologue so I feel less alone. When I need confidence or to feel ok I’m a main character in the movie. The worst things and the best things always happen to the main character. In life I definitely am a side character in comparison to my friends and their lives but in my own world if I’m the main character most things should work out.
I've never been able to fully wrap my head around the concept of main character syndrome. Literally anyone could be the main character. You don't have to be special or confident or pretty. There are plenty of examples of "average" people becoming the center of a story.
Often times, the main character of a story is the most average character in that story because that makes them relatable. Personally, I’m happy with being a peculiar side character in a couple of other people’s stories.
You can create a story with any kind of main character. The trend seems to mistake main character and protagonist which are two different things although they can be united in the classic hero or even villain.
The main character usually starts out as an average person with likable personality traits, but by the end of the show/movie they become successful and an extraordinary version of themself.
As a POC I do this all the time as a kid for the limited representation and the unimaginative tropes that existed for me.
I asked someone to think off the top of their head when a black girl was casted as the love interest or the girl next door in a non-black production company? Black women are so rarely cast in soft feminine roles. It breaks my heart because I'm that type of person. 😢😢
Do people honestly obessed with this? Want to stop racism, stop talking about it-black man
@@mewesquirrel6720 You mean stop making me see a point of view that doesn't include my way of life? That is a low empathy and low intelligence response.
Instead of asking why are people obsessed? You should ask why does it keep happening? Even a racist like you must understand that if the same things keep happening repeatedly it's a pattern not chance. 🙄🙄
@@mewesquirrel6720 Ngl. I just thought about what you said and I realized I misread your punctuation.
Even if you are black...minimizing the voice of other's when they are speaking about race issues is still suspicious. You stop the bleeding by doing something about it. Color me surprised but I don't think you're black no profile pic anon account...and if you are that's rly sad.👀👀
I think angela from Boy Meets World could fit or Jodie from Daria. But I didnt watch boy meets world, just saw an edit of shawn and angela and she seemed super cute and soft. Jodie also is a super cute (personality and design wise) with a preppy style.
I'm not American so my point of view Can be différent (if you are) but i'm an european poc boy and I understand it! I'm glad that sex éducation exist because they're a lot of main black character and they all have a différents personality
We’re all the main characters of our own stories that constantly crossover. Basically Avengers but 24/7
The CHAOS if this mindset sets into collective consciousness xD
Your life is nothing like the avengers. Un delude yourself immediately
@@boozecruiser you don’t know me, for all you know I could be running around destroying New York with my Norwegian god friend all the time 😌
I don’t think as humans being we should put movie characters titles on ourselves…
boyz in the hood
menace 2 society
baby boy
hustle and flow
save the last dance
I kind of agree. It's kind of dehumanizing in some ways. We're more complex and contradictory than any character a movie or book can create. It's kind of limiting
@@haneul4164 I absolutely agree … we are not a shallow one dimensional characters … we are more than that … we are humans.
I've always been this way. Not because I thought I was better than others, but because I've always been very into fiction and find life much more endearing if I visualize it as a film. I'd jump into adventures and believe myself capable of anything. I remember my best friend when I was 8 thought I had some learning disability and told me "Life's not a movie". But I pursued my dreams and even though I was severely bullied, I ended up discovering I was gifted, appear on TV often and ended up with a painting at a internationally famous museum at age 10. If you're your true and best self no matter what people say the possibilities are endless!
wait really? what tv show??
What you have said literally will change my life, thanks.
Wow thank you I needed this
U inspire! 💘
Username checks out 😏
I want to feel like the main character in my story but in reality I’m the awkward comic relief supporting character 😖
Me too, I'm probably the sidekick or wisecracking best friend in my own story!
When my teens came, they weren't like a an 80s John Hughes film. I lament this loss of something that never was. Maybe that's called disappointment? But it's been two decades since my teens. Life, huh?
That's usually my favorite character! Your life is just telling the story from that characters perspective.
I am probably the side character that has a sad past but is kinda funny, and is just there to support the main one. :)
Honestly most of the time the "quirky sidekick" is actually much more interesing than the main character
People have re-evaluated the Ferris Bueller character. Many feel that he was not a very good friend and he was quite manipulative.
At least he's a teenager acting like one
Yes, the prigs have been busy but we can simply ignore them.
Being the protagonist and side character simultaneously 😍
Just want to point out that a lot of people suffering from mental health disorders that focusing entirely on themselves isn't always narcissism. PTSD, depression, and being suicidal can seem narcissistic to other people but that is far from what is actually going on. People who suffer from one of those things don't willfully ignore other people's problems. It's more like when you break your arm and need everyone's immediate attention to get help and safety. People who are suicidal, depressed, or have PTSD, aren't going to be very useful at helping any of your problems, they could get triggered by them and now your both in a worse state or they could end up hurting themselves because that sort of thing takes emotional energy. People who are unfamiliar with grief, loss, or trauma shouldn't expect someone suffering from those things to be fully functional in every way, they might seem crazy to you or like a different person than you knew before.
I just want to be a low-stakes background character with a funny scene-stealing gag, like the Cabbage man.
A:TLA is an epic saga about a man who just loves his cabbages, change my mind
@@firiel2366it had to be said
The most important aspect of main character syndrome is achieving character growth in yourself. In every story, the protagonist has something they want and something they need. They're so hung up on trying to get what they want that they neglect or deny whatever is their need, which eventually becomes an obstacle to achieving their goal. They say that every story begins with a lie and ends with a truth, and only by learning the truth do you discover what you truly need. The question you should be asking yourself is "what lie do I believe right now?"
I've experienced quite a few people with "main character syndrome". More often than not, it's toxic instead of empowering because of the way they treat the people around them.
This is why I don't think this a healthy, productive idea. Positive in theory, Negative in practice (mostly).
Your life isn't a journey it isn't leading anywhere. The pain you feel doesn't mean anything it's just pain. You don't have any goals you have to achieve.
all organism die and new organism will be formed from the ashes of the dead, all of man is centered around this fact, this story, and all of the people YOU look up to make a meaning of this
Felt that
0:17 "To remind everyone in my neighborhood that I'm the main character in my neighborhood"
Wow, girl, that rhyme was tight! 😳😳
LMAO
thinking of yourself as the main character of your own story might be helpful in acknowleding that there are good things that you deserve just because, and that you deserve to be happy just because
Any teenager with a "main character syndrome" is the most annoying person in the world, They go beyond a self-esteemed and a self-centered person, It's just an extremely narcissistic person, when he's not an extreme asshole
Did you watch the entire video?
im gonna be honest, DONT TREAT YOU LIKE A CHARACTER im from latinoamerica i was two months in california and i see how selfcenter american youth are.They are not selfish not bad people but really selfcenter obvisly this have a social and economical insight but the important part is that usually this make you blind not only in your life but in the world this cut your empatic(because if the ishue or problem is not near you,you dont care) and you live in a big world with million o people struggle at the same time.
but been selfcenter just cuts your vision to people similar to you or the total oposive.
you are not a character you dont have a hero arc your a human been
you have the best arc in the world,be a live with others.
Exactly, the key is moderity, I don't think is bad feeling like the main character but you should also know that you are not the only one that matters
Remember: ‘You’re the star of your own show, even if you don’t feel like it’
Unfortunately, some shows are so boring or depressing no-one wants to watch them.
@@_Sakidora_ Don’t worry, you just need a better team of writers
@@abrilmolina5012 Don't we write our own scripts with occasional and annoying improvisations from other people?
@@_Sakidora_ Sometimes…and other times life throws you bad writers.
You’re still the main character, though
Honestly,we are all side characters,all of us want be "the hero" who help everyone and be the center of own life,is bad
I’m all for living your best life but I could never treat my family and friends like side characters and that their lives don’t matter as much as mines. They are just as important as me.
exactly!!!
Just because you're the main character doesn't mean your life is more important than others. In fact, main characters often sacrifice themselves for others, especially for their family.
If this "syndrome" helps someone step out of their comfort zone and have more confidence that's all well and good.
The real issue is when people start seeing themselves and their experiences as generally more important than others' and seeing others as "less than" or unimportant. "You're just a side character in my life. Why should I care about you?" type of attitude.
Something real main characters in some movies/shows do is treat side characters badly only for it to be played off as "funny". Also, if at any point the main character DOES realize they've been a jerk, their family and friends always forgive them the second they say sorry, teaching them nothing in the process.
If you decide to "become the main character", remember to do so with self awareness and empathy at least.
I can remember having the thought when I was a teenager that I’m not a main character, I’m just a side character there to support main characters. . . I’ve since begun to process my childhood abuse and trauma, and I’ve actually been working on really focusing on taking the reins of my own life.
Sounds like a good path you are walking on right now! It can be crushing as a teenager to feel not seen, or worse, treated badly and can make one feel like being not important. It is so empowering to finally begin to view oneself as the center of ones own life.
As long as you don't hurt other people i´d say is okay if you want to be self centered (but don't trow people under the bus). Carrie is not a good way of living a life
That's why I don't donate to charity
Precisely, as long as you don't look down on people, and are kind to them, then this syndrome is acceptable.
@@daynieldeguzman4044 me neither
Maybe I'm mistaken, but wouldn't hurting others be pretty much inevitable if you're self centered though? The problem is that self centered people don't realize they're hurting others, because, well, they're too self centered.
@@mynameisreallycool1 not exactly, you can be self centered in the sense of putting yourself first in following your goals, prioritizing your health/well being,working on self steem, you pretty much can do all that witouht hurting other people
Main character syndrome actually overlaps more with theatrical personality disorder
I think you mean histrionic personality disorder and I definitely agree! When they mentioned "it sounds a lot like npd" I was like bruh just by saying that you can tell they don't know about npd below surface level stereotypes
@@s.severn yeah! In my country they use both the terms histrionic and theatrical to name this disorder
@oof it is classified as a disorder in the dsm-5
@oof Dont assume things about someone you dont know. I always question authority, but sometimes authorities are right. Histrionic personality disorder is a disorder. Just like borderline and bipolair disorder. A disorder doesnt make a person less of a person, but it helps them understand themselves.
@oof I agree with marit de boer's last statement. Also, no one is saying any one type of person/brain is "correct". There are just certain disordered mindsets which when causing distressing/dysfunctional/dangerous behavior or thoughts might need treatment.
I think the only one here who is "brainwashed" is you. You have tricked yourself into thinking just because a bunch of people think something it inherently must be wrong because everyone else is a sheep but you're special. Are you also a flat earther?
I feel like the word "narcissistic" is thrown around a lot when discussing "main character syndrome." The truth is people throughout the times have seen themselves to be the main character. Especially during adolescent years, people feel like the whole world is watching them and what they do. Not usually in an "everyone is obsessed with me" way but more in an "if I make a mistake everyone will notice and laugh" way. I think people confuse viewing yourself as the main character with being narcissistic when really, it's a way to empower yourself. We all should live our lives like we are the main characters of our stories, because after all we are. Living like the main character of your story is taking control of your own life and cherishing the little moments. When people talk about romancing everything, it's along the lines of taking the time to appreciate the warm sunshine on your face or watching flowers dance in the breeze. We all have to be the main characters of our lives, because everything we do is from our perspective. I'm sure most people wouldn't want to feel like they are not important in their own life story. This is very different from narcissism, because while you acknowledge that you are the main character of your story, you are not the main character in others' stories. This also doesn't mean that people close to you are just "supporting roles," it just means that they are not you - it doesn't make them any less important or special. Everyone is the main character of their story, and sonder is a beautiful feeling. This trend at its core isn't about being self-centered, it's about self-empowerment, agency, and cherishing the small moments in life.
As I writer, I can tell you, most people don't realize main characters get tortured by their writers. It's usually not fun being a main character. There's a saying amongst writers, that if it was up to the main character, a story would end on page one, because most people avoid conflict and change. Writers have to build all sorts of plots to force characters into difficult situations that usually people avoid.
Barney in HIMYM had a main character syndrome, didn't he?
Yes, even though the show is based on Ted who is the main character, Barney is the supporting character who acts like a main character.
YES. THANK YOU!
I think he was just a straight up narcissist. As was Ted.
The main character in American Beauty is not a good person. An interesting character doesn't have to be 'good' or likeable.
True
To give my two cents, it’s good to have your MCS stay inside. It teaches you to value your own story; but once you start announcing that you’re a main character to the world, there’s a problem.
You are your own protagonist and everyone else's side character. Always remember your own worth without disregarding the worth of others. This whole 'main character' trend is important in that it helps foster confidence, but I sometimes fear that it can veer into self-absorption for some!
^ THIS. I completely agree!
The world's a stage and all people be players.
Just don't be solipsistic, like Lucifer in Milton's Paradise Lost.
See also the work of Jung. The me that is me projects the archetypes onto people around me. Different people play the "mentor", it can change from one month to the next. The previous mentor can become this month's "shadow", etc, etc.
Or look even further... 😏
Such a beautiful message of one taking control and direction in their own life to emulate this “main character” energy whilst sharing jt with other main characters 🤩🤩
"Its ok to think you're the lead character of your own life but not the lead character of humanity"..
What a great lesson and take away
I don't really care for this trend. It's probably because I'm Latino and my Latino culture came first that it's easier to notice how self-centered Americans are. American culture is very "look out for number 1 and be the best and be successful, you are the main character." Hence why I feel Americans don't have a sense of community as opposed to other cultures. It's never about the collective it's about you. So to me this main character syndrome comes off as "I didn't get the attention I think I deserved so now I want everyone's eyes on me," it's just Americans being typical Americans.
I agree completely. Like I think it’s good to put your needs and your long term goals as priority, but to just expect everyone to worship the ground you walk on and to accommodate your every want is just entitled af. I feel like this whole “main character syndrome” bs is just another phrase for “the world revolves around me”.
agree
Generalising about 300 million people is not very wise.
I think it depends on the person. I'm a latin person (and I'm actually living in Latin America). And let me tell you, it depends on your country and personality. I know many people who are self-centered and are latins. We can't generalize "Latin" culture because every country in Latin America is different. And I also know Americans who aren't self-centered at all, my english teacher was a church volunteer and she came from America. Sweetest woman ever
@@_Sakidora_ That's what I'm saying! The US and Latin America are big enough. We can't generalize cultures
For example, if you live in the South (The US) you will be more community-centered and if you live away from the big cities in Latin countries, it will also make you more community oriented
unrelated but 4:12 , isn't Anna actually the main character in frozen? 4:20 isn't Eric the main character in T70S? 4:22, isn't chandler one of the main characters in friends (since it has an ensemble cast)?
Yes. Eric is the Main character of T7S. Point Place as a town revolves around him, his friends, parents and relationship with Donna
In my life, I am the main character.
In my best friends life, I am the best friend character.
In my parents life, I am one of two child characters.
And in a few peoples life’s, I am the person the audience hates.
It’s kinda weird to think about, but I like it.
I always try to be the main character. Literally trying to find joy and fun out of everything. But then I look over to that girl, everyone knows who she is. And I realize I’m not even the side character in her story. I’m just an extra.
SONDER!!! That's one of my favorite obscure German words that have no direct English translation. It's why I like to travel, to feel tiny, remember my problems aren't as big as they feel, that the world is much bigger and full of more than just me. It's very cathartic when the realization comes back to me.
Never heard someone use that word in Germany
Just Googled. It's just a made up word, it doesn't have a real background. It means something different in different country's but it's not a German word
can't lie I'm happy to be the side character that you know nothing about but are happy to see lol...dunno what that says about me
Side character are usually the best and the most love character
@@xtltokioreal2736 yeah I mean I defo made a RUclips compilation video to some Train song with scenes of my fav side character back in like 2013 😂😂
@@xtltokioreal2736 Samwise from TLOTR.
Me too, i don't care about being the center of attention and i'm pretty happy focusing on my well-being 👍
@@SpartanManchie my dear Samwise 😭☺️
We live in a world over-run by narcissists, malignant and less so. We should acknowledge that it's good to feel good, but also realize that we impact one another and that most big things are done together. No one makes a movie alone. No one makes a show alone. We need to realize the truth that we are greater together and that main characters should be the story of communities. Break out of that self-centered mental shell and join the rest of the universe.
There are no words to express my hatred and disdain for Tik Tok 😑
I have words to express my hatred for TikTok, but if I type them, this comment will get reported.
Why so much passion for something so unimportant?
@@kjugirl Most will grow out of it in time.
I remember it happened to instagram too, at the beginning it was all about self centered people shooting pics of their irrelevant food, it's not the platform, it's us. Eventually tiktok may switch to content sharing just like insta
@Roslia Gold No, I don't believe in banning. TikTok needs to be stigmatized.
I like the idea that I am the main character in my own show, but occasionally in crossovers too, where I can be a colorful cameo or an iconic villain. The world is not my show, it's a cinematic universe my show is part of. It's so much more exciting.
I took a screenshot of this because of reasons/research/personal improvement. This is feels so accurate.
I like the way you word it a lot, I might start saying this if a conversation about being the main character comes up
Yasssss!!!!
Holy fucking cringe
Actually, "Sex Education" helped me to see my and other's life more that way. In the show, every character gets a background story that makes you empathize with them. Their narratives are constantly evolving and are given much screen time. It's not all about the (supposed) protagonist Otis. The show reminded me of how everyone has a story and how our narratives intersect and influence each other when we cross path in life.
Damn I’m glad I’m not the only one that feels this way. I like modern coming of age series/movies because it helps me to empathise with other people
Every session with my therapists focuses a bit of time on my perception as a "main character" and what that means for myself and for the people around me.
11:34 I always thought his attitude towards that couch was rather hypocritical given that he blew a lot of money on that four-wheeled phallic symbol. I wonder how he would have felt if his wife spilled beer in it and snidely said, "It's just a car."
It's healthy to view yourself as at the main character in your OWN life, but unhealthy to act like you're the main character in other people's lives. Your own life revolves around you, and other people's lives revolve around theirs.
My main character syndrome sets in when I have my headphones in and I’m walking down the street...in that moment every guy I walk past falls in love with me and every female wishes she was me Idc what you say SHUT UP.
I think for a lot of people it's also about the niggling existential dread of knowing that one day you'll pass away and technically none of the things you loved or stressed over "mattered". Films/books seem immortal and even every menial action that happens in them has its own special significance but in life things just happen for no real reason and then we all move on, sometimes never having another soul even know about what we experienced. I also think the "good damage" thing Diane says in Bojack Horseman summarises why a lot of us feel such a need to be a main character/be seen;
"If I don't write my book of essays now, that means all the damage I got, isn't good damage. It's just damage. I have gotten nothing out of it, and all of those years, I was miserable for nothing. I could have been happy this whole time and written a book about girl detectives and been cheerful and popular and had good parents, is that what you're saying? What was it all for?"
You can’t help anyone if you can’t help yourself. You gotta look out for nr 1.
This was such a great video as always. Thank you for that.
Honestly, I'm tempted just to become that _"interesting side-character that audiences love more than the MC"_ type of character.
I wish people with narcissistic personality disorder could actually change.
Once during college, I had a tiny nervous breakdown and decided to walk around my neighborhood in the pouring rain. 😬
Everything needs dosage because you need to remember that in real life you are a side character or member of the public in someone else's story. While some people are too sefless like some best friends in movies or too narcissitic like some protagonists. It is okay to think about yourself too like the main characters. Being condiderate while listening to your some of desires and wants too.
Probably why Lizzie McGuire hit so much for me. I think therapy has helped me step into healthy main character syndrome more, as someone recovering from society induced side-character syndrome. LOVE THIS TAKE! I'd love to see the flip of this Take: Why Ensemble narratives touch us so deeply. Now that I'm watching Ted Lasso (thanks for the recommendation, btw) and watch a lot of international TV (K-drama, C-drama, Nollywood, Bollywood), I'm think of all the ensemble driven shows that have touched me (Community, The Office, HIMYM, Bojack, Family Matters, Girlfriends, Stranger Things, Modern Family, Knives Out) I think it'd be nice to touch on what makes the collective so powerful and deeply effecting.
I wish I saw this when I was 18. Would have prevented a social media addiction
broo. i loveee the fact that you put that intro voiceover from the tiktok in the beginning. it was perfectly fitting
There's nothing wrong with being a little selfish, and you should recognize yourself as the main character in your story because you are. The problem occurs when you don't allow other people the same and begin to treat them as if you're the main character in their lives.
"I Heart Huckabee" is a great example of sonder in a movie, also its just really funny and well-done while still being philosophically rigorous
I used to have support the main character syndrome. But then I lost trust and now I'm my own person finally.
I think I had a bit of this, as a kid in middle school. I like to think I grew out of that, but the past will always bite back.
This reminds me a little of the secret ' law of attraction' when I went into negative positivity my life couldn't really move on. I thinks it's fun and great to believe your life is fantasy but one should still have their feet grounded in reality
This video gave me quarter-life crises and a lot to think about
Just be sure to have several story arcs. My problem now is that I focused too much in one goal. And now I am facing life after ”The End”, and is a struggle. If you don’t, you might trap yourself like the video said in a cycle of constant repetition of good/bad behaviors, but the true trick is to keep on moving, and face the twists and the joys and the melancholy and keep on going, I am fully embracing in a romantic and self-lovingly the cliché when saying: “The end is only the beginning”.
You had me at a Federico Fellini Amarcord poster.
Love that film🥰
i feel like the difference between good and bad main character syndrome is your motivation behind it- if you notice, a lot of these people on tiktok are only romanticizing their life so they can post about it online and get attention. they want their life to be romanticized in the minds of others. to truly be the main character of your life, you romanticize your life for you and only you. it has to be an internal thing done without an external motive. if you need other people to know you're the main character, you're not doing it the right way. that's what makes it problematic or not- and what factors in narcissism and hurts others.
I wouldn't think this trend is toxic if it wasn't created by the generation with most percentage of narcissists ever. So no, I don't trust it will be empowering.
Plus, if it wasn't about pure aesthetic, it would be philosophy writing, and not micro content made in a social media platform to get likes.
Beautiful video as usual!
Love your channel✨
This really helped me, thank you. I know it's just a media review, but I've applied this to my current life position. It humbled me
Well when life is a movie the supporting character gets forgotten later on 😎👍
There was a girl I used to be roommates with and I grew to dislike her immensely because of her narcissism. Not the narcissism that everyone thinks everyone has nowadays, but the true kind as described in the video.
We butted heads because I’m such a down to Earth and practical person that whenever I tried to explain…well, reality, to her she would give the most delusional answers.
People like that need others who will enable their delusions and inflated egos because if they’re faced with the truth that they’re wholly insignificant (in the grand scheme of things) they couldn’t take it. So rarely are these people alone, but they latch onto people who cater to their whimsy, like Abed from Community.
People who have had "Truman show psychosis" watching this are like "shit, there are people who do this shit on purpose? Fuck that!"
honestly i would love to see an analysis video on the bangtan universe by you guys, its so complex and immersive and talks about mental health and youth and growing up. its so brilliant and i feel like only you guys could do it justice
People now making up words to hide their insecurities. Now where the dislike count i'm looking for. Is that because someone at youtube is a main character themself?
I'm concerned most people would take this mentality way too far. In moderation this could be beneficial, but honestly in my opinion most would abuse it and it would get out of hand.
This video is very interesting. Please make a video about this trope where the child/teen main character of the movie/show is a the savior that has been predicted in the past.
Stanger Than Fiction (2006) is a cool example
lmao i was looking up a word i knew to describe all this, realized it was sonder, and then they added it into the end of the video 😂
it's hard to process how everyone's living wildly different lives as you run errands or sit and eat in a restaurant, but every once in a while i look around and wonder what everyone else is doing and it's quite fun to make up storylines for other people. ooh and also the random convos you have with people are like mini crossovers, and that's pretty cute 🙂
"I AM WHAT YOU NEED"!!!!!!!
Vonszeil spight
If you really "acted like the main character", you wouldn't be so focused on going around telling you feel great when you feel like you're the centre of the universe.
What a big Community fan the editor is, loved it :)
Thank you for this video! I watched many videos from your channel recently, they're so interesting! I liked the videos about female gaze and male gaze. And I wanted to know your opinion about K-Dramas (Romance, the ones based on female written Webtoons) and BL (BoysLove, or Yaoi [Manga])! I think that BLs from Thailand and South Korea are getting more and more popular.
Hey The Take, great job as always
Please do a take on Modern Family characters
I'd say people need to have LESS main character syndrome. We're all in first person mode so we naturally are narcissistic and believe our experiences to be unique. If anything people need to be told way more often that the human experience is universal and that they are not that special until they prove themselves to be special. "Empowerment" quickly becomes Mania if not controlled properly and most people are bad at controlling themselves.
I wish they focused a bit more on race and how that factors into alienating certain people from fulfilling the role of “The Main Character” …also, I’ve never been this early
That's what he said.
definitely want to see this talked about
Race doesn't stop anyone becoming a main character.
Just discovered your channel. You make amazing content keep at it!
I needed this tbh
I think it's good you look at this subject from different angles, but thinking you're the main character will I think only lead to disappointment. Importance is a human concept and with that we're all equally unimportant/important. There's no better than, there's only suffering in thinking that there is.
what if... we are all being fed reality from a tube in the back of our head, like in the matrix but instead of everybody sharing the same virtual world, we each have our own and everything in it is designed to make us believe we are in the real world?
Main Charater Syndrome is a bad thing ask any one who has played D&D with someone with Main Charater Syndome. Life is an ensamble cast