Non-Player Character

The NPC.

This term refers to the characters in video games that you interact with within the game, that is not controlled by another player.

These characters are controlled by the computer and are only able to interact with very limited repetitive actions and responses that are scripted and automatic.

They exist as supporting characters or ‘extras’ that the actual player interacts with along their journey in gameplay and to further the storyline.

The term NPC has grown to encompass a broader meaning over time.

In 2016 the NPC meme made an appearance, which is graphically based on the Wojak mean. This same meme was later weaponized to troll online, is an insult used to suggest that some people are unable to form thoughts or opinions of their own, and has continued to evolve into TikTok trends.

Could this term have a deeper meaning for us?

When someone calls someone an NPC in real life, they are implying that they are “unable to think objectively” and continually repeating and parroting information that they have heard from someone else.

These are the people who are just bodies occupying space and without the ability to think for themselves.

They are the followers, not the leaders, the ones who let life happen to them and seem to exist primarily to forward the plot of the people around them.

Potentially serving as a conflict, or barrier that someone else has to overcome in order to level up and get closer to fulfilling their destiny.

In a life that makes it easy to fall into the monotony of the day-to-day adulting tasks that are required of us, how do we avoid becoming a mere NPC in our own lives?

The answer: by taking control and ownership.

To avoid becoming an NPC in our own lives we need to choose our destiny and life path and be active participants, instead of letting life happen to us.

You actively pursue a career that excites and fulfills you, even if it doesn’t fit the mold of what’s expected instead of following a predetermined career path, simply following what is laid out by parents, teachers, or society without questioning whether it truly aligns with your passions and interests.

You are open and willing to express your own opinions and engage in healthy debate and discussion instead of agreeing with the opinions of others, without questioning or challenging them, lacking autonomy and originality in your own thoughts and actions

You take care of yourself and prioritize your own needs and desires in order to live an authentic life. Making intentional choices and setting boundaries that honor your own values and priorities instead of prioritizing the needs and wants of others over your own, and neglecting your own self-care and well-being,

The key characteristic of an NPC is that of someone living passively.

Someone who is just going through the motions, regurgitating the opinions of others and not seeking opportunities for growth and change and because of this they are someone who lacks substance and is therefore not memorable.

Choosing your destiny and life path, on the other hand, means taking an active role.

It means setting goals, making intentional choices, taking steps to create the life you want, and actively working toward the future you envision for yourself.

Choose your own path and live a life that’s memorable, fulfilling, and uniquely yours.

Always,

Your Trusted Friend ❤︎