0:00 You play a caricature of what you think a man is. >> Yeah. >> So then you're like, "Yeah, I'm the mysterious quiet guy cuz I'm stoic." Or like >> That's I do. Dude, get out of my head in middle school, bro. >> Trying to be purposefully stoic is the best. >> So here's a term that I think encapsulates and very well describes a lot of uh people that this term wasn't really around, at least when we were younger. But you guys um have heard of main character syndrome. >> Yeah. >> Yes, I've heard. >> Yep. >> Main character syndrome. >> Where have you encountered that in life, whether it was you or someone else? What's your experiences with seeing main character syndrome and how that plays out? Cuz there's I feel like that's ever since social media became big, I think that's more of a widespread
0:52 phenomenon. >> Influencers gone wild, that's a whole page of uh it main character syndrome, like just recording in public and doing all that ████ >> I saw one where um it's mostly on social media. It is where you see most of it, I think. And it was during the beautiful LA fires. And it was a guy staring off. He's like looking over He's on a mountain. He's the the whole city's burning and he's like hands in his pocket and he's looking out like that. And he obviously asked his girl to take a picture of him. >> Oh my god, that's crazy. >> what? Guess what made to the main feed, brother? It's him just looking at the fires being like, "Life is crazy, isn't >> That's a great example. >> That's uh main character energy, I think. I think that's good. >> I also hate ████ main characters syndrome people when they're in a
1:42 crosswalk and they're just like >> Yeah. >> Yeah, those senior citizens walking so slow. >> just walking. >> have a ████ walker, dude. >> I almost I don't think I've Anytime I'm crossing the street, I think I'm always like borderline jogging because I'm worried I'm going to get hit. >> Well, I just don't want to like take up other people's time. I know everyone's trying to go somewhere, but there'll be people where it's like the hand and it's like five, four, three and they're like not even halfway. And I'm like, "Dude, just ████ run across cuz like you're holding up traffic and you're not even a car." >> Right. >> Tyrone. Or Jamal. >> You know who has a lot of uh main character syndrome? Um boomers. Like boomer customers. And I don't know, maybe they're getting dementia or what's going on, but like
2:33 a lot of them don't understand how to navigate the world without like considering other people around them. Like like let's say you see a busy shop and everyone's helping everyone out. And then a Karen's just like, "Excuse me." And I'm like, "If you just take 1 second to look that person's busy handling They're no It's >> She's acting like people are on their phones just ████ around all day. And I'm like, "That happens so much." Like I I see it up and down Waikiki. People are shopping and I'm just like, "This is ████ crazy, dude." Like But is I think that's why there's such a gap between like boomers and Gen Z. >> Would you say most of those like clients are more like Jamal or they more like a Leslie or something? >> It's usually white ladies. >> It's a Barbara. It's a Barbara.
3:23 >> But but but but it it's it is a lot of like it it is a phenomenon of their generation though. It's not just like we had Indian ladies, like Mexican, whatever, but like it's crazy. >> Yeah, that's the same thing where they can't understand why they can't uh edit their order to exact specifications. You know where they're just like, "I don't see why you can't just put that in there or take that out." >> Or they'll just plainly rudely say ████ in front of your face. >> Like >> Yeah, yeah, exactly. Yeah, yeah, yeah. >> They'll just like ask the stupidest questions and they're not stupid for asking the question. You're stupid no matter what. It's just weird. I'm just like, how did this whole generation turn out this way? And it's even I just thought cuz some stuff I thought were like Asian Boomer things, but it's actually like worldwide. >> It's worldwide, yeah. >> Yeah. >> It's weird. >> I think it's also like a
4:14 almost like a uh hierarchy thing. Cuz like they speak to you that way because in their mind you're like beneath. >> Yeah, they're they're probably closer to the slavery age where they're used to treating >> Like I'm sure around their peers, yeah, around their peers is probably a little different, but like because you're not worth >> Like I left my whip in the hotel room, but >> Yeah, I think I think that's where it really comes from or or it's like a lot of the cuz the criticism of boomer boomers is like they are killing it and they're looking at everyone else like, why aren't you guys killing it like the way we did? >> Yeah, yeah. >> The survivor bias? >> Yeah, like, oh, we did fine. Like, what are you talking about you guys can't buy a house? Like, you guys are just need to work harder or whatever. Like, I feel like a lot of boomers get caught up in that camp, but I think it comes from a place of like class of ████ of like, oh, I got my bag. The rest of you guys are like worthless a little bit.
5:04 >> the it's the bootstrap mentality. >> Yeah. >> I think there's a very like surface level um indicator for like main character syndrome is when uh somebody's like let's say somebody's like famous or whatever and like people are talking about them and they're going like, oh, is so-and-so here? It's really cool. And just goes I've never heard of them. And it's like just because you personally don't know somebody cuz they're not in your world >> to fend it off that. >> they are not validated as like something significant, you know, just you'll see that all the time, yeah. >> ignorance. >> You see it every time every single time there's a like a TMZ post or a Complex post about anybody. There's always going to be the someone going who? You like who's that? That's famous. >> Who's Sabrina Carpenter? >> Yeah, exactly. Like I've never heard of Sabrina Carpenter song. It's like, dude,
5:55 you're That's not the idea. It's not that like, oh, because they didn't breach into your solar system in your mind doesn't mean that like, oh, that's not valid, you know. >> You know who has main character syndrome I ████ hate? Taika. >> What you mean? >> This guy comes home and he just ████ kicks his shoes off. And I'm like, hey, fool, you're ████ leaving your ████ in the middle of the hallway. Everyone's going to trip over it. They got to put it to the side. >> Well, the lobe hasn't developed yet. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. They're still operating like that. >> I do see that in young people a lot. >> Yeah. >> I I was probably that, too. >> Yeah, I think you you have to be for a little bit. >> You kind of see the world as everyone's an NPC and you're just playing your game. And then like I sometimes see this in like young guys a lot where um they're really acting and peacocking. >> Mhm. >> So, like they're
6:45 playing a role and I I'm like, oh, I remember doing that ████ too. >> Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. >> Cuz you're you're trying to figure yourself out. >> Yeah, you're trying to gain identity. >> So, you're the mysterious boy or like you you play a caricature of what you think a man is. So, then you're like, yeah, I'm the mysterious quiet guy cuz I'm stoic or like >> That's so accurate. Dude, get out of my head in middle school, bro. >> Trying to be purposefully stoic is the best. Yeah. >> You have a archetype of what you believe this guy should be, so you play that role thinking that everybody around you sees you doing this thing and no one ████ notices. >> Nobody cares, yeah. >> No one knows, but that's like the the the part of being a you're growing into a man and like you got to be like, what are the what are the I'm not a boy anymore, so I got to start acting like >> I'm the strong, silent type. >> Yeah, that's true.
7:35 >> One of one of like a an example like a late game version of this is like I watched some pretty close friends like kind of develop into main character syndrome like very severely. And I think like one thing that's like a dead giveaway is like they just start talking to you about their problems as if nobody else has problems. Nobody would understand what I'm going through, bro. And you're like, really? No one ████ understands your first world ass ████ >> Like you lost a job, you're the only person in this ████ world that lost a job? Oh, but not like how you lost a job, huh? Like everyone else did it, but not as bad as you. >> I think after a while when you have friends that stop like even thinking about anything you're going through and they're just dumping all of their ████ and it's like, no, listen to the main story, okay? Because like all that other stuff is not it's not like I'm going through the real ████ It's like, what
8:26 the ████ happening, bro? Like everybody's got ████ going on. Like to discount that and be like, no, mine is the main problem. >> in entertainment though, there are a lot of batshit crazy people in general. And then so like with that main can I I kind of forgive a lot of the main character ████ because if they're in the realm of nuts, I just it doesn't matter. >> It just comes with it. Realm of nuts, yeah, yeah, yeah. >> Like Kanye, he is a main character. But like he's also in the realm of like like hey dude, you're you're eccentric. That's what they say, right? >> Yeah, I think also I I didn't realize until like now how closely tied main character syndrome is to like survivability. Like some people really
9:16 that's the only way they'll make it in their mind. Like if they stop believing that they're the center of their world or or you know, the world, then they might not have a shot. >> That is how some people make it, especially in Hollywood. >> Yeah, yeah, it really is, yeah. Yeah, but that's funny to like um >> Like they have to say in their brain, I'm important, I'm the best, I'm the greatest, and they have to keep saying that. >> Yeah, but but the funny the the duality that I thought was so like remarkable is that these same people or the person I'm thinking about that has like the main character syndrome and the survivability also struggles with imposter syndrome when they're also an imposter. Because like people with main character energy are trying to almost show the rest of the world like you're their close friend so they don't give a ████ But like the general public they want them to think that they're
10:06 more empathetic or like they have like they're they're more considerate. Because of the of the image. So like the idea of being so concerned about your image while also at the same time knowing the truth in your mind that you don't care about people. >> And that's why they have a issue. >> That's why you have like compounded issues because you're trying to balance all of these like different moving parts to make that composite image of yourself. I just found that so ████ interesting. >> It's really like they want the feedback to confirm that's who they are. So like they're posting this facade or whatever so they have comments saying oh like let's say if if they want to be recognized for mastery in dance or something. And then the the comments like oh you're such a great dancer and you're like I know. >> Yeah, but then like you have but at the same time you have to like purposefully balance it with ah it's imposter
10:56 syndrome. I don't deserve what I have. You know what I mean? But like >> You're too humble. You're too ████ humble. >> almost like a manufactured humility. But it's it's like all those things I never realized until now like how closely paired they are. Like one almost needs the other to like be convincing to yourself. It's like ████ amazing. >> And it's so different from narcissism too because yes narcissists are main main character syndrome but I don't think they ever are wrong or ever like think that they're the problem. So like they're all they always want to be you know the top of the attention totem pole. >> And and pay lots of money to therapists to tell them that they're not the problem. >> With the right therapist. >> They can have main character syndrome, but yeah, what it sounds like is like there's so many ways to get there. Like, you could just be main character
11:47 syndrome because you're a oblivious boomer. Because you're just not considerate or aware, and your brain isn't trained to look at things socially in a way where you have to be careful. Or like they don't care because you're a worker. Because to them they're like, "Ah, you're just a slave." >> Do your job. >> Yeah. And I think there's main character syndrome because you're a narcissist, and you just literally don't give a ████ about anybody else. >> Yeah. >> And then there's the impostor syndrome main character syndrome cuz they're like trying to make it, and they have to prove to themselves that they are somebody, you know? >> That's the thing I find so fascinating about impostor syndrome is that like, yeah, that's a very normal thing to feel. Like what if you, you know, you're you're striving to be this thing, and you're not entirely convinced that you deserve to be that. But I think when you're expressing it outward too much,
12:39 you're almost certainly the impostor. You know what I mean? Like, it's not a syndrome anymore. Like, you are an impostor, and you're trying to convince people that you're not by acting like it's a syndrome. >> Yeah. >> So you get validation. >> Exactly. So that people go, "No, like don't say that about yourself." Yeah, but it's like most people just do the work, and they don't think that hard about it, you know? Most people just like buckle down and try to get it done. >> But there are people like performative people though. Sometimes people are like always on. Like, they're just putting on. And then when you're working like I feel like when you're working in entertainment a lot, you run across these types all the ████ time. >> Entertainment, yeah, for sure. There's a lot of yeah, cuz that's it's cutthroat. Like everybody's kind of it's that feeling of like if I don't do it for myself, nobody's going to save me. >> Yeah. Rather than like, you know, nurturing
13:30 communities, it's more like, "No, I need to just be this nucleus." >> But to me, I'm like, if it's tied to a career, it actually makes sense. But if you're just doing it for purely attention from your friends, you're ████ weird. >> Yeah. >> You know, it's like, you're trying to act like a celebrity, but you live in like a small town, and you and you have like 3,000 followers, and you're like the biggest influencer there. >> Like, it looks pathetic. >> I think that's why trauma dumping is a big sign of it. Like, if you're just talking so god damn much about like >> yourself >> stuff that happened to you, and like you're the victim all the time, and you're just like like nothing ever goes right for me, you know? It's like >> You know what's a good way to stop it? When when they're saying that, you go My life's so hard. >> I think that's what I love about ████ being American is that like one of the
14:20 freaking fastest ways you can get over ████ is just realize how first world your >> Yeah, first >> Most of your problems are, yeah. How first world like a lot of your worries like truly are. >> Your worst problems are like someone else's dream. >> Somebody wishes they had these problems, dude. >> For real. >> I'm so glad I don't got no friends like that. >> Yeah. >> Well, you did a good job curating. >> Oh, yeah, you're right, cuz I I I removed a lot of them early on. >> Yeah. If you guys have any experiences with main character syndrome, I know that's something that like uh almost seems a little bit newer-ish, so we haven't really talked about before, but yeah, drop in the comments what you think main character syndrome is about and how you've experienced it. >> And what's the best way to get rid of them? >> Well, you're so you're so stupid.
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