Main Character Syndrome: Are you really having fun?
Alaina Charles discusses the line between having fun and performing.
Image Credit: Spencer Davis / Unsplash
Haven’t we all thought at some point that we’re giving “main character energy”? Maybe you were on the table dancing at the club, or sat on a bench by yourself reading a book, thinking of it as an aesthetically cinematic moment. Main Character Syndrome describes a person who sees these cinematic moments and immediately deems them “main character moments” in the film of their own life.
Now, there’s nothing wrong with romanticising the moments of your life – finding appreciation in the small things is a way of making life more special. What, though, are the effects of viewing yourself as the protagonist in everything you do? Does thinking of yourself like this rob you of genuine experiences?
If we are to name ourselves the Main Character, then the people around us can shrink into merely supporting characters who appear in our own narrative. Though we may not truly think that our friends and family are just expendable scenery, centring ourselves in this way can illuminate a desire for comparison. If we were to see somebody else having their spotlight moment, would we, as the Main Character, be able to feel the joy from simply sharing that experience? Or would we attempt to lead it back to us?
Another concern is that people might present a false front, trying to sell the film that is their life. If someone were to want to be the main character, surely this idea alone negates any fun they are to have. If the goal is successfully projecting the perfected character, do we not become obsessed with the aesthetics rather than the experience? Through this addictive lens of attempting to live more freely, we might find ourselves acting as voyeurs instead of living in the current experience.
Ultimately, as long as the main character energy you put into your life is focused on pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and doing activities with your friends on a whim, it can’t be all that bad. As long as you value everyone else’s narrative as much as your own, a bit of romanticising could give you your moment. The key is to make sure you’re actually having fun, and not performing.
Words by Alaina Charles