It's fascinating. Some of my favorite characters have been like me in appearance and personality. But a lot of what I find appealing about them are their flaws (That I also share) and the struggle of how they either overcome them or figure out how to put them to their advantage. It gives me hope that I too can one day become a better me.
These people want perfect characters that look and act like them so they can feed their delusion that they too are already perfect.
It's so much worse than that. Their self-inserts aren't even Mary Sues anymore. Now the protagonist on the page shares all of the flaws and defects of the narcissist behind the keyboard - and the story treats her like a goddess anyways! It's a whole new level of self-absorption when you use your own fictional narrative to validate your lifestyle via a self-inserted proxy.
That's still a Mary Sue. She's still being handed unearned success to the detriment of the story, it's only the difference between winning the race undeservedly and losing and being handed the gold medal anyway.
Because these people are narcissists who can't identify with or empathize with anyone who doesn't look and act just like them.
It's fascinating. Some of my favorite characters have been like me in appearance and personality. But a lot of what I find appealing about them are their flaws (That I also share) and the struggle of how they either overcome them or figure out how to put them to their advantage. It gives me hope that I too can one day become a better me.
These people want perfect characters that look and act like them so they can feed their delusion that they too are already perfect.
It's so much worse than that. Their self-inserts aren't even Mary Sues anymore. Now the protagonist on the page shares all of the flaws and defects of the narcissist behind the keyboard - and the story treats her like a goddess anyways! It's a whole new level of self-absorption when you use your own fictional narrative to validate your lifestyle via a self-inserted proxy.
That's still a Mary Sue. She's still being handed unearned success to the detriment of the story, it's only the difference between winning the race undeservedly and losing and being handed the gold medal anyway.