Main Character
As I was talking with a member of the younger generation recently, I heard a term I had never come across before. As they observed someone’s disturbing behavior, they said something to the effect, “That’s some serious main character syndrome!” My mental response was, “What in the world are you talking about?!?”
So being the curious person I am, I decided to ask the internet. The World Wide Web told me that: Main character syndrome is an informal pop-psychology and social media term describing a mindset where a person views their life as a movie or novel and themselves as the sole protagonist. It is not a formal medical or clinical diagnosis, but rather a cultural observation about extreme self-focus.
Common Signs and Behaviors
Treating people as extras: Viewing friends, family, and strangers as supporting characters who only exist to serve your personal plot line.
Over-dramatization: Exaggerating ordinary, everyday occurrences to make them feel cinematic, epic, or tragic.
Constant validation-seeking: Needing heavy attention or staging moments for social media presentation.
Low empathy: Struggling to care about or recognize the independent struggles and inner lives of others.
Then, I got it. And to my untrained eye, sadly, there is a lot of this going around in the world right now. Prolific is an apt word to describe its surge and growing prominence.
In the beginning, God created us… not the other way around (Genesis 1-2). If you believe the Bible, and I do, the Lord is the main character (Colossians 1:16). Rather than us being the star of the show, we are to see ourselves as participants in his grand narrative, and our primary goal is to make him shine to those who are beholding his story.
When we do, we should see a life where:
We treat others better than ourselves and love our neighbor (Matthew 22:37-40).
We don’t exaggerate or generate alternate truth. Rather, we function from God’s higher truth only (Psalm 119:160, John 17:17).
We don’t voraciously pursue validation and the praise of others; we are created in God’s image, and he already loves us (Genesis 1:27, John 3:16).
We live with a kingdom focus, which thrusts us into redemptive ministry, where we empathize with people’s struggles (because we, too, have struggled) and seek their redemption by sharing Jesus with them (Galatians 6:1-3, Matthew 28:18-20).
God is the main character! When we embrace this, following his lead, we love and pursue his holiness and truth while humbly helping others. This is for the glory of God and not our own. Selfishness and magnifying self have no place in his story.
Romans 11:33–36
33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?”
35 “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?”
36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
Question: Who is the main character in your life, and how does it cause you to live?
Eyes up,
Ryan
