20 Of The Cringiest Encounters With Someone Displaying “Main Character Syndrome”
Sometimes you run into someone who's just too insufferable for words with their me-centric attitude and treats everyone else like an NPC.
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We all have our me-centric moments, but then there are those people that just have to take it too far. Sometimes it's a random stranger that you may run into, but more often than not it's someone you know really well or, God forbid, a relative.
In 2021, a Reddit discussion on the #maincharacter topic really took off, where folks were happy to cite their most eccentric encounters with someone who treats others like NPCs. The discussion still continues as folks keep adding and sharing their most interesting tales of experiences with narcissistic, self-absorbed individuals who could really do with being taken down a peg or two.
Image source: Choice_Ad6875, Chloe Leis
I was a shiftmanager at Starbucks, and an elderly woman had a heart attack in the middle of the store. I had to call emergency services and provide first aid. While doing that a barista came to me to ask if she could get another position to work at. Because she was bored of standing at the counter. This was while I was giving cpr to the woman on the floor. Then she got mad that I ignored her.
Image source: Angry_Custurd, Kat J
My MIL and SIL who cried and HOWLED during our wedding ceremony acting like it was a funeral
Image source: Mars-Regolithen, Gabriel Brito
Me from age 0 to 16/17.
Im convinced to have gained conscience just after that. Some s**t was justified but man i must have been exhausting to be around.
Image source: BidenTrumpR34, energepic.com
Pick any of the people who started fights when I moonlit as a bouncer. Nothing says main character delusion like thinking you’re not going to get hurt fighting two dudes who have 60lbs on you.
Image source: Pass_the_Lasagna, Antor Paul
A mother at school demanded that the break for the whole school should be postponed because her daughter is not hungry yet at the set time
Image source: unlovelyladybartleby, Tamara Bellis
At my brother's wedding, his MIL showed up in a floor-length ball gown covered head to toe with sequins and with a band of giant bling around the waist. To a simple 20-person backyard wedding where the bride wore a simple knee-length sheath dress. She was also drunk and spent the whole day showing off her new boob job. They were C's, but she'd gone up from AA and was proudly brandishing them at everyone, including elderly relatives and kids, commenting that the bride would look so much better if she got hers done.
I bided my time until she came up to me and dramatically sighed about how sore her boobs were and said, "Oh good for you! When I got mine reduced, the doctor told me not to go down under a D. I wish I'd had the courage to get them reduced as small as yours." She cried in the bathroom for 2 hours, and my SIL hugged me so hard I got bruises.
Image source: imaybeacatIRl, ŞULE MAKAROĞLU
In general, check insta, tiktok, and snap.
In terms of my real life? My mum. Holy s**t... To hear her tell it, an overweight 77 year old woman is the most desirable partner in the world. Every damn man she finds even marginally attractive and has spoken to her has been "after her for years", and if they're dating someone else then "that b***h is a real piece of work, let me tell you". She has basically told me that world leaders are watching her because she is very important, and "I just don't know".
I can't barely spend time with her at this point, because it's got so much worse as she's aged... Thankfully she has dogs that she loves so I just get her talking about them.
Image source: AdOk1965, behrouz sasani
A former coworker had her disabled dad quit his really recently found new job that he truly enjoyed (he had a really hard time found one du to his handicap) because he couldn't miss a day of work for her birthday. She was 23 at the time, going 24.
She got mad when he explained to her that he couldn't miss a day so soon after being hired.
The man is in his late 50 with really heavy arms handicap. And he miraculously found a gardener job in his hometown (no drive car needed)
She didn't care about anything he said and cut short to the discussion: if he wasn't going to take a day off for her birthday, she didn't want to talk to him anymore.
The poor guy quit. He loves this ungrateful brat so much, it's painful to watch... really
And when he did, she wasn't even grateful, she clearly thought it was the bare, decent, minimum from his part
Image source: 97ratsinatrenchcoat, Aiony Haust
My sister. She’s two years younger than me. She’s done many Main Character Syndrome-driven things, but one particular highlight was when she announced that she had brain cancer. At my high school graduation. (Spoiler alert- she did not have and has never had any type of cancer, and our aunt had died from brain cancer two years ago. That upset quite a few relatives)
Image source: Ronotrow2, ŞULE MAKAROĞLU
My irritating asf sister She can't be at anything even her own kids celebrations without attention seeking, being loud and annoying. Must have all eyes on her at all times. Exhausting
Image source: Yaseuk, Marcos Paulo Prado
I was in Japan back in April. We climbed up to a viewing point to see Mt Fuji. A “famous” American Tik Toker and her “ entourage” started physically pushing people out of the way so that they didn’t ruin her shot. And then she yelled “i need an Asian in the shot to make it authentic”. So they grabbed an old man and got him to take photos with her.
It was gross and disgusting
Image source: Old_Army90, Cleyton Ewerton
Local celebrities are pretty bad. Their spouses and families are even worse. The only time I’ve heard “Do you know who I am?” in the wild was when the wife of the local weatherman was arguing with a clerk at the grocery store.
Image source: Opposite_Ad1080, Ben White
My soon-to-be ex-husband asking me how to flirt and date.
He doesn't move out until the 30th, *he wants the divorce*, and refuses to work on the relationship. He announced he was leaving only weeks ago, and is trying to get me to talk about dating experience with him while we cohabitate. He's already semi-stalking one poor woman who just changed her workplace and vocation suddenly (he used to show up at the bar she managed, now she left for a controlled childcare environment where he can't show up).
We have been together for ten years. What a POS. It's taking all my willpower not to Samwise Gamgee him with a frying pan
Image source: Magnus_40, Markus Winkler
About a year ago. Trying to board a flight and a couple held us up so that Main Character could get a series of photos in a series of poses standing at the top of the boarding stairs like some 1960s JetSet starlet in St Tropez.
This was not First Class transcontinental glamour flight, this was a 4 hour Budget Ryanair flight from the Canaries to the UK.
After being forced into the plane by the cabin staff who kept standing in the shot trying to get the plan boarded (Ryanair do not mess around with their fast turnaround) and also by angry people trying to squeeze past boyfriend/cameraman and getting in the shot. She then proceeded to stand in the aisle during taxi for take off just after the safety brief to get more photos. After threats of returning to the terminal and being put off the flight she sat down.
Nothing says a classy instagram model like the Ryanair colour scheme.
Image source: middaymeattrain, James Kovin
One of my exes thought he was the main character of some cringy Garden State-type movie and that I was supposed to be his manic pixie dream girl. I'll never forget one of the arguments we had in which he was frustrated with me for not being more ~*~*quirky*~*~. He said, "You're supposed to take me by the hand and show me the world!" which sounds like a bad joke, but trust me when I say he was being serious.
Image source: 44035, mrlonelywolf
It was weird when the Salt Bae guy inserted himself into the World Cup celebration immediately after the game.
Image source: Generalmogar, Kajetan Sumila
I was downtown Vancouver, just walking a long smoking after a night out and across the street from us we saw two guys being loud as s**t and another group of about 7 guys just walking down the street towards them. The two drunk guys walk through the other group of dudes and bump into them.
The two guys instantly demand apologies, “ do know who I am? Bro I train MMA, I’ll knock your a*s out”
The bigger group is trying to avoid conflict but these two dudes are just being giga chads. One of the two dudes throws a punch (looks like it’s the first punch he’s ever thrown in his life), the other guy slips the punch and lays him out on his a*s. The second drunk guy goes into hero mode or something and also launches into an attack and gets his a*s kicked. The bigger group didn’t even go all out they just knocked each guy out and walked away
These two guys apparently thought they were tough s**t and got quick lessons handed to them. One of the best things I’ve ever seen in my life.
#1
Image source: Choice_Ad6875, Chloe Leis
I was a shiftmanager at Starbucks, and an elderly woman had a heart attack in the middle of the store. I had to call emergency services and provide first aid. While doing that a barista came to me to ask if she could get another position to work at. Because she was bored of standing at the counter. This was while I was giving cpr to the woman on the floor. Then she got mad that I ignored her.
#2
Image source: Angry_Custurd, Kat J
My MIL and SIL who cried and HOWLED during our wedding ceremony acting like it was a funeral
#3
Image source: Mars-Regolithen, Gabriel Brito
Me from age 0 to 16/17.
Im convinced to have gained conscience just after that. Some s**t was justified but man i must have been exhausting to be around.
#4
Image source: BidenTrumpR34, energepic.com
Pick any of the people who started fights when I moonlit as a bouncer. Nothing says main character delusion like thinking you’re not going to get hurt fighting two dudes who have 60lbs on you.
#5
Image source: Pass_the_Lasagna, Antor Paul
A mother at school demanded that the break for the whole school should be postponed because her daughter is not hungry yet at the set time
#6
Image source: unlovelyladybartleby, Tamara Bellis
At my brother's wedding, his MIL showed up in a floor-length ball gown covered head to toe with sequins and with a band of giant bling around the waist. To a simple 20-person backyard wedding where the bride wore a simple knee-length sheath dress. She was also drunk and spent the whole day showing off her new boob job. They were C's, but she'd gone up from AA and was proudly brandishing them at everyone, including elderly relatives and kids, commenting that the bride would look so much better if she got hers done.
I bided my time until she came up to me and dramatically sighed about how sore her boobs were and said, "Oh good for you! When I got mine reduced, the doctor told me not to go down under a D. I wish I'd had the courage to get them reduced as small as yours." She cried in the bathroom for 2 hours, and my SIL hugged me so hard I got bruises.
#7
Image source: imaybeacatIRl, ŞULE MAKAROĞLU
In general, check insta, tiktok, and snap.
In terms of my real life? My mum. Holy s**t... To hear her tell it, an overweight 77 year old woman is the most desirable partner in the world. Every damn man she finds even marginally attractive and has spoken to her has been "after her for years", and if they're dating someone else then "that b***h is a real piece of work, let me tell you". She has basically told me that world leaders are watching her because she is very important, and "I just don't know".
I can't barely spend time with her at this point, because it's got so much worse as she's aged... Thankfully she has dogs that she loves so I just get her talking about them.
#8
Not a specific instance, but working in college admissions, I deal with a worrying number of students who basically speak like they're trying to be edgy anime protagonists. And I mean general tone of voice, vocabulary, the whole "smirk while pushing their glasses up" thing, etc. Like... it's not a lot of them. But it's more than you would expect. Image source: sfzen#9
Image source: AdOk1965, behrouz sasani
A former coworker had her disabled dad quit his really recently found new job that he truly enjoyed (he had a really hard time found one du to his handicap) because he couldn't miss a day of work for her birthday. She was 23 at the time, going 24.
She got mad when he explained to her that he couldn't miss a day so soon after being hired.
The man is in his late 50 with really heavy arms handicap. And he miraculously found a gardener job in his hometown (no drive car needed)
She didn't care about anything he said and cut short to the discussion: if he wasn't going to take a day off for her birthday, she didn't want to talk to him anymore.
The poor guy quit. He loves this ungrateful brat so much, it's painful to watch... really
And when he did, she wasn't even grateful, she clearly thought it was the bare, decent, minimum from his part
#10
Image source: 97ratsinatrenchcoat, Aiony Haust
My sister. She’s two years younger than me. She’s done many Main Character Syndrome-driven things, but one particular highlight was when she announced that she had brain cancer. At my high school graduation. (Spoiler alert- she did not have and has never had any type of cancer, and our aunt had died from brain cancer two years ago. That upset quite a few relatives)
#11
Image source: Ronotrow2, ŞULE MAKAROĞLU
My irritating asf sister She can't be at anything even her own kids celebrations without attention seeking, being loud and annoying. Must have all eyes on her at all times. Exhausting
#12
Image source: Yaseuk, Marcos Paulo Prado
I was in Japan back in April. We climbed up to a viewing point to see Mt Fuji. A “famous” American Tik Toker and her “ entourage” started physically pushing people out of the way so that they didn’t ruin her shot. And then she yelled “i need an Asian in the shot to make it authentic”. So they grabbed an old man and got him to take photos with her.
It was gross and disgusting
#13
My dad, all day long. He wasn't evil, but he was always right, every time. And he knew everything. Never mind anyone's education or lived experience of a situation, he knew all about it. Every time. He tolerated no criticism, especially from my brother or me, nor did he respect boundaries. He was our father and that trumped everything. Image source: SororitySue#14
Image source: Old_Army90, Cleyton Ewerton
Local celebrities are pretty bad. Their spouses and families are even worse. The only time I’ve heard “Do you know who I am?” in the wild was when the wife of the local weatherman was arguing with a clerk at the grocery store.
#15
Image source: Opposite_Ad1080, Ben White
My soon-to-be ex-husband asking me how to flirt and date.
He doesn't move out until the 30th, *he wants the divorce*, and refuses to work on the relationship. He announced he was leaving only weeks ago, and is trying to get me to talk about dating experience with him while we cohabitate. He's already semi-stalking one poor woman who just changed her workplace and vocation suddenly (he used to show up at the bar she managed, now she left for a controlled childcare environment where he can't show up).
We have been together for ten years. What a POS. It's taking all my willpower not to Samwise Gamgee him with a frying pan
#16
Image source: Magnus_40, Markus Winkler
About a year ago. Trying to board a flight and a couple held us up so that Main Character could get a series of photos in a series of poses standing at the top of the boarding stairs like some 1960s JetSet starlet in St Tropez.
This was not First Class transcontinental glamour flight, this was a 4 hour Budget Ryanair flight from the Canaries to the UK.
After being forced into the plane by the cabin staff who kept standing in the shot trying to get the plan boarded (Ryanair do not mess around with their fast turnaround) and also by angry people trying to squeeze past boyfriend/cameraman and getting in the shot. She then proceeded to stand in the aisle during taxi for take off just after the safety brief to get more photos. After threats of returning to the terminal and being put off the flight she sat down.
Nothing says a classy instagram model like the Ryanair colour scheme.
#17
Image source: middaymeattrain, James Kovin
One of my exes thought he was the main character of some cringy Garden State-type movie and that I was supposed to be his manic pixie dream girl. I'll never forget one of the arguments we had in which he was frustrated with me for not being more ~*~*quirky*~*~. He said, "You're supposed to take me by the hand and show me the world!" which sounds like a bad joke, but trust me when I say he was being serious.
#18
Image source: 44035, mrlonelywolf
It was weird when the Salt Bae guy inserted himself into the World Cup celebration immediately after the game.
#19
I worked with a woman Betty who was pregnant. Another coworker Tracy was pregnant at the same time and had a miscarriage. When Tracy was out recovering maybe a day after it happened, Betty found out she was having twins. Although Betty and Tracy weren’t really friends, Betty announced that she needed to be the one to tell Tracy her news and it needed to be done NOW. Betty called Tracy and it was just nauseating. Betty also liked to tell everyone she tricked her husband into getting pregnant. They are divorced now. Image source: sanibelle98#20
Image source: Generalmogar, Kajetan Sumila
I was downtown Vancouver, just walking a long smoking after a night out and across the street from us we saw two guys being loud as s**t and another group of about 7 guys just walking down the street towards them. The two drunk guys walk through the other group of dudes and bump into them.
The two guys instantly demand apologies, “ do know who I am? Bro I train MMA, I’ll knock your a*s out”
The bigger group is trying to avoid conflict but these two dudes are just being giga chads. One of the two dudes throws a punch (looks like it’s the first punch he’s ever thrown in his life), the other guy slips the punch and lays him out on his a*s. The second drunk guy goes into hero mode or something and also launches into an attack and gets his a*s kicked. The bigger group didn’t even go all out they just knocked each guy out and walked away
These two guys apparently thought they were tough s**t and got quick lessons handed to them. One of the best things I’ve ever seen in my life.DE
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