As an avid gamer and streamer, I‘ve watched the evolution of the NPC meme firsthand – from its video game origins to its new life as a widespread internet slang term. In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll unpack the full backstory and controversy around calling someone an "NPC".
A Primer on Non-Player Characters
In games, NPCs (non-player characters) are characters controlled by the AI, not human players. They serve functional roles like quest givers or merchants, following scripted behaviors. As a streamer, I‘m very familiar with these often repetitive NPC interactions!
| Video Game NPC Behaviors | Example Games |
|---|---|
| Following set movement paths | Guards pacing around Skyrim cities |
| Repeating canned dialogue lines | Oblivion‘s "I used to be an adventurer like you" |
| Reacting in limited ways | Shopkeepers buying/selling items |
| Advancing story/quests | BotW‘s Impa assigning main quests |
NPCs allow developers to populate game worlds, but lack human depth and uniqueness. This common understanding of "soulless" NPCs laid the foundations for the internet slang meaning.
Meme Origins on 4chan and Reddit
Around 2016, 4chan users began creating memes portraying NPCs as blank faced characters repeating identical phrases, satirizing people as "scripted" and lacking autonomy.
The meme spread to subcultures on Reddit, resonating with certain groups who felt mainstream society lacked individuality. Some used NPC to insult ideological opponents, implying they blindly repeated establishment views.
Why the Meme Resonated So Strongly
The NPC meme took off because it tapped into longstanding human tendencies:
- The illusory truth effect – ideas repeated often seem more true
- Deindividuation – losing individual identity within a mass crowd
- Ingroup favoritism – viewing outsiders as less human
Psychologists say these inherent biases likely contributed to the meme‘s impact. It dehumanized those with opposing views as homogeneous non-individuals.
The Meme Spreads to Mainstream Social Media
Around 2018, NPC gained widespread traction on mainstream sites like Twitter and Reddit. Many used it to criticize political enemies as unable to think for themselves.
However, many found the label reductive and concerning when used broadly against dissenting opinions. Dismissing swaths of people as NPCs risked deteriorating empathy and rational discourse.
Nuanced Critiques of the Meme‘s Impacts
Experts on online behavior warned of dehumanization effects from widespread use of the NPC meme:
- It oversimplifies complex human behaviors that arise from personality, lived experience, trauma, mental health etc.
- Labels construct ingroup vs outgroup dichotomies, fostering tribalism
- It can justify discounting others‘ perspectives and life circumstances
As philosopher Simone de Beauvoir said: "It is in the knowledge of the genuine conditions of our lives that we must draw our strength to live and our reasons for acting."
The Complexity of Human Thought and Behavior
The NPC stereotype falls apart under closer inspection of real psychological complexity:
- People display cognitive biases unconsciously – confirmation bias, selective perception etc. These create the illusion of "scripted" thinking.
- Peer pressure and social norms exert strong influences on human behavior and speech
- Most behavior arises from lived experience and socialization, not an inherent lack of autonomy
Our minds take shortcuts informed by past experience. But few people exist as true cookie-cutter stereotypes once you look beneath the surface.
Self-Reflection, Not Dehumanization
Rather than label others as NPCs, we should reflect on our own tendencies to act in biased or reflexive ways. Through self-awareness, we can catch our unconscious biases and challenge ingrained assumptions.
Growing into fully self-directed individuals requires the courage to question norms, seek alternative perspectives, and think critically about the world and ourselves. I continue working to improve myself in these regards both online and off.
The NPC meme offers an occasion to remember the intrinsic complexity and dignity of all people – including those with whom we fiercely disagree. With empathy and nuance, we can elevate public discourse beyond destructive tribalism.
