Blinded by the Spotlight
When you play peek-a-boo with a baby, they’re mystified by your ability to appear and disappear. They’re discovering your “Object Permanence” in real time, while realizing the world doesn’t revolve around their own existence. Typically babies grow out of this phase by the time they reach their first year, but it seems that some modern influencers are experiencing a consciousness regression with their relationship to the world around them.
Blinded by a social media-fueled mindset, some content creators are deciding that they’re now the main character in society and everybody else is just an extra. Obviously, from everyone’s individual POV, their life is a first-person account of everything that’s happening in the world. Through the lens of their own beliefs, lifestyle, and even their daily mentality, the world tilts accordingly. However, that doesn’t change the realities of a multifaceted society—there are other people on this planet too! According to Anna Gotlib, a philosophy professor and published author for Aeon, “[from the main character’s perspective] everyone else is a side character at best. Only the star’s perspectives, desires, loves, hatreds, and opinions matter, while those of others in supporting roles are relegated to the periphery of awareness.” Steamrolling everyone else is suddenly a self-confidence boost, mistaking basic, selfish and entitled behaviors as “main character energy” for the sake of Internet clout.
Regressing to babyhood, “main character” influencers seem to forget that the rest of the world exists beyond their little bubble, putting on the blinders to the happenstance of those around them in order to exalt their own existence. “This is no mere rudeness,” says Gotlib. “In the narrowly circumscribed world of main characters, the rest of us are merely the insignificant ghosts who happen to intrude on their spaces.” An egotistical main character might even start treating the people around them like human props or even furniture in their reality, forgetting the pull and tug of normal society through the opulence of their rose-tinged glasses.
Gotlib explains that it is destructive to view human beings as fundamentally relational to the main character and this ideology poses a threat to the most important experiences of being human: Relationships. Unlike the baby that will soon realize they are but a small part of society, the adult narcissist—i.e. main character afflicted individuals—may never realize the world still turns without their approval.
Me, Me, Me?—My, My, My
In a way, all of us are starring in our own version of life, but it’s nothing like The Truman Show, where onlookers are ogling our daily lives, wondering what we’ll do next. Nobody is hanging onto every word of a content creator on social media just because they demean the people around them as “extras.” Besides, fame and fortune are not a valid excuse to belittle the rest of the world. A-listers get their pictures taken at the Cannes Film Festival, with flashing paparazzi and gawking onlookers, but that still doesn’t grant them the right to treat everyone around them like some dialogue-less background character. Many narcissistic content creators have forgotten that.
Living as if everyone on Earth is an extra in a movie and the whole plot revolves around you is downright delusional. Despite being packaged like a confidence booster on social media, “main character syndrome” is extremely toxic.
Shardia O’Conner, a cultural journalist for Brainz Magazine says, “while self-focus can boost confidence, it often leads to toxic behaviors like dismissing others' experiences and prioritizing personal narratives over genuine connections.” Not only is it making it acceptable to act like you’re the only person on Earth who matters in your narrow bubble of existence, but it downgrades the societal contributions of everyone around you.
While it may be fun to cosplay as the main character of the world’s saga, remaining levelheaded and humble about your existence is more admirable. Sidelining every other human being’s thoughts, opinions, and lifestyle just to elevate your own opinion of yourself online is a sad, closed-minded approach to life that can ultimately isolate you from your interpersonal relationships. Life is richer when we share it with others, valuing their experiences, and refraining from overromanticising our own contributions to the world.
Because, although you may think that you are the main character, everyone else around you is starring in their own version of life too, where your only role is “Subway Goer #3.” Here, you have no lines, no close up, and you scroll on your phone for the entire scene. Stay humble.
Via u/andrea_alta_