What is main character syndrome and what are the signs to look out for?

We all, at some point in our lives, have dreamed of starring in a film as the main character. But did you know that there are people who actually feel like this on a daily basis? These people might suffer from ‘main character syndrome’.

What is main character syndrome?

Worry not! This is not an officially recognized medical condition. It is indeed a term coined by Gen Z and means exactly its name. As per Business Insider, the term was popularized on TikTok and implies that a person is considered self-centred, or even unrealistic and out of touch.

People influenced by this syndrome often want to be the centre of attention. They look at other people as ‘side characters’ that don’t hold much importance in their life. Kate Rosenblatt, a therapist and senior clinical manager at Talkspace, said:

Main character syndrome' refers to identifying as the protagonist in your own life story

You might have this syndrome

If you think about it, you might possess some traits that show the signs of main character syndrome. Have you ever dressed up and behaved as if you are being watched by the people around you? Then this is a possible sign that you have main character syndrome, according to Aisles of Life.

Some other traits are: when you have problems and you ‘romanticize’ them, instead of finding a logical solution; prioritising your problems and making them everybody else’s problems as well; imagining fake scenarios where you are the star; and presuming that people will be at your ‘beck and call’.

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