People like to stand out from the crowd. Be unique and act differently. And it’s well and fine when you’re a teenager still building your personality and finding what you like and don’t like. But this struggle to not be like others to get attention gets stale really quickly when you’re an adult. You realize that the ‘not like other people’ phase is just that – a phase, and it seems pretty cringy in real life.
The I’m The Main Character community gives a pretty healthy dose of shaming to those guilty of constantly wanting to be the center of attention. It’s a subreddit with over 1.3 million members who like to roast self-absorbed people. I mean, if they were foolish enough to post their main character syndrome behavior, they need to be able to take the ridicule, right?
Bored Panda also reached out to Alexander Danvers, Ph.D., a social psychologist and Director of Treatment Outcomes at Sierra Tucson, who researches emotions and social interactions.
We asked him how professionals would describe ‘Main Character Syndrome,’ why some people act this way, and whether we all have some of that main character energy in us. After all, we’re all the main characters of our lives, aren’t we?
#1
Tesla Owner Thought They Were The Main Character…they Were Wrong
The popularity of the I’m The Main Character subreddit is a testament to how people detest those who publicly act like they’re at the center of the world. The community also has one condition for its posts: they have to feature “deliberate attention-seeking behavior, entitlement, or individuals thinking they are more privileged than anyone else.”
The subreddit is also against discrimination, harassment, racism, misogyny, bigotry, or personal attacks. Even if the main characters featured on the subreddit are extremely rude, the rules ask members not to harass them on their social media. The same goes for discussions among members: “There is always a real human with emotions behind the screen,” the group cites
2 Cat Thinks Its The Main Character
Cat Thinks Its The Main Character
#3
They Were Definitely Looking At Them
To learn more about ‘Main Character Syndrome’ from a psychology professional’s perspective, we reached out to Dr. Alex Danvers. Because the term gets thrown around online quite frequently, we were curious to know whether psychologists and mental health experts characterize it as a medical diagnosis.
“‘Main Character Syndrome’ isn’t a medical diagnosis,” Danvers tells us. “It’s a pop culture term, which means it has a looser definition, and people can use it in different ways. Typically, I see it used to mean that someone sees their life as a story—a TV drama or a romantic comedy—and puts themselves in the starring role.”
#4
Invading Someone’s Privacy And Insulting Them
“Not My Order?” I Don’t Know What That Even Means…
Thinks The World Stops For Him Because He Spent Too Much On His Truck
Dr. Danvers says that such a mindset can change the way a person thinks. Sometimes in big ways, sometimes in small ways. “At the problematic end, it can make the person too focused on themselves, always trying to shift conversations and social situations to center around the drama of their personal story.”
“This can cause someone to overlook other people’s thoughts or feelings, treating them as supporting characters. That can feel, to friends, like a lack of empathy or rudeness.”
“But it can also lead to behaviors that are pretty common and less problematic,” Danvers continues. “Like trying to present yourself as positively as possible or focusing on documenting your life on social media over engaging in the moment.”
#7
Who Does This?!
8 Starring: Yearbook’s Photo Editor
Starring: Yearbook’s Photo Editor
