The Fine Line Between Reality and Main Character Syndrome

Somewhere in the back of our minds, we all secretly believe we’re the main character. And  honestly? We’re not wrong. 

Sure, Of course, we know the world does not revolve around us. But still, we cannot resist  stepping onto a deserted street and feeling like we are in an indie film Or staring out a rainy  window, waiting for the soft piano music to start playing in the background. We know  nobody is watching. But that doesn’t stop us from acting like they are.  

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The Delusional Beauty of It All  

- A song plays in a café, and suddenly, you’re in a movie montage about self discovery.  

- You take a long walk, pretending the world is watching your emotional character arc  unfold.  

- You sit by a train window, gazing dramatically into the distance, as if you’re about to  leave behind a dark past. 

- A stranger opens the door for you, and for a brief moment, you think, is this my  soulmate? 

We sentimentalize the ordinary, as if every second is part of some grander, carefully  constructed narrative. And perhaps that’s not so terrible. 

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Side Characters in Someone Else’s Story 

While we’re busy romanticizing our own narratives, someone else is doing the exact same  thing—seeing us as the stranger in the background, the random passer-by, the one-line  character in their personal novel.  

That barista who made your coffee? They have their own story.  

The person sitting across from you on the train? They’re having their own internal  monologue.  

The stranger who bumped into you on the street? You’ll never know what part of their plot  they were rushing to. 

We are both the protagonist and the background character at the same time. 

So… Are We Really the Main Character? 

Yes. But so is everyone else.  

And maybe that’s the fine line between reality and Main Character Syndrome—knowing  that while we see life as our own personal story, we’re also just extras in someone else’s  scene. 

So make your story a good one. One worth remembering. Because even if no one is  watching, you are.

-Mari Priyadarshini