Identifying with fictional characters

[Nicki]

I hate INFP protagonists but oddly enough, I relate so much to ISFPs. INTJs too, which are quite rare. It's nice to see a character with a thought out, long-term plan every once in a while.

 

[Nicki]

Hermione was my role model when I was younger though, and she always will be. I relate so much to Harry Potter though because of his characterization and Fi.

 

[Coriolis]

That makes a lot of sense. Recently I discovered Les Mis*, and I relate a LOT to Javert, for similar reasons, i.e. his thought processes, his internal conflict. A general sense of, if my life had gone that direction -- i.e. if I'd been that misguided -- maybe I would have ended up somewhere similar.

As much as I have always liked Les Miserables, I see no INTJs in it. Closest might be Enjolras who I suspect is ENTJ. Your thoughts regarding Javert are similar to mine sometimes about INTJ characters.

 

[EJCC]

As much as I have always liked Les Miserables, I see no INTJs in it. Closest might be Enjolras who I suspect is ENTJ. Your thoughts regarding Javert are similar to mine sometimes about INTJ characters.

Yep! He's one of the most ISTJ characters there is. Most of the villains I relate to are Knights Templar, just trying to do the right thing, but doing it horrifically wrong -- and usually those characters are STJ.

 

[sprinkles]

Why not? Is there something inherent about the type that makes this bad in a literary sense?


Some would characterize the American colonists that way, once the revolution started. One man's terrorist is another's freedom fighter. I like rebels who champion causes I would support, most of which concern civil liberties and social justice. A good example is the student rebels in Les Miserables. They certainly lived in a time and place where many inequities in society needed to be addressed, but their revolt was nothing more than a mass suicide. I never got much into the Star Wars story, so none of this is a commentary on that. It always seemed more like a war between political factions to me, rather than a true rebellion.

It was a war between political factions. Supporters of Jedi and supporters of Sith.

The Jedi weren't saints by any means but the Sith were entirely murderous and only wanted to wipe out every Jedi. The Sith were in fact so murderous that there ended up being a rule among them that only two Sith Lords could exist at one time, Master and Apprentice. Otherwise unfathomable backstabbery ensues.

Even when Palpatine had Dooku and Anakin at the same time, they ended up being pitted against each other in the end - Anakin executes Dooku in anger after he'd already been defeated and begins down his dark path, becoming a promising apprentice to Palpatine, and ultimately becoming Darth Vader.

 

[Coriolis]

Yep! He's one of the most ISTJ characters there is. Most of the villains I relate to are Knights Templar, just trying to do the right thing, but doing it horrifically wrong -- and usually those characters are STJ.

I checked out your Knights Templar - interesting site. My preference is Good is not Nice.

 

[EJCC]

I checked out your Knights Templar - interesting site.

I find it very useful in my everyday life. Its terminology makes discussion of genre tropes (and types of characters) a lot quicker and easier. For example, I could spend several paragraphs explaining the character of Mr. Bates from "Downton Abbey", or I could just call him a Stoic Woobie and The Atoner.

My preference is Good is not Nice.

In general, or as a villain?

 

[cafe]

I can't think of any I identify with very much. I love many, many fictional characters and faithful sidekicks always have a special place in my heart. I'm not sure if it's because I identify with them or because I admire them. Wait, I think I do identify with them, but most of the ones I identify with are men, some of whom are gay. I had not noticed that before.

 

[RaptorWizard]

The best and most epic fictional character of all time!

Darth Revan: Heart of the Force

 

[Coriolis]

I find it very useful in my everyday life. Its terminology makes discussion of genre tropes (and types of characters) a lot quicker and easier. For example, I could spend several paragraphs explaining the character of Mr. Bates from "Downton Abbey", or I could just call him a Stoic Woobie and The Atoner.

That assumes, though, that you are speaking with people who are familiar with these terms. I would have to look them up.

In general, or as a villain?

The whole premise of "good but not nice" is that the person is fundamentally good, so I would suspect this is rare for a villain, unless it is a villain who has some change of heart and mends his/her ways. Antiheroes sometimes take this form. I especially enjoy characters with moral ambiguity, where it isn't clear which side they are really on, at least until the story resolves itself. (There is a "nice but not good" that seems more suited to villains.)

 

[Coriolis]

I can't think of any I identify with very much. I love many, many fictional characters and faithful sidekicks always have a special place in my heart. I'm not sure if it's because I identify with them or because I admire them. Wait, I think I do identify with them, but most of the ones I identify with are men, some of whom are gay. I had not noticed that before.

Do they seem to share your type? I found this to be the case with most characters I identify strongly with, and that it overrides most other distinctions (sex, family situation, occupation, education level, etc).

 

[cafe]

Do they seem to share your type? I found this to be the case with most characters I identify strongly with, and that it overrides most other distinctions (sex, family situation, occupation, education level, etc).

I'd say I??J, but not necessarily NF. Basically, they are quiet and gentle and do a lot of the grunt work so their friend can focus on saving/running the world, or whatever.

 

[lunalum]

I've gone through a few phases of relating to fictional characters but end up finding out more of them and realizing that they're still not very similar to me. I think the closest one I've found so far is Haruhi Suzumiya, main failing in that connection being her..... err, assertiveness (though that might be a good thing for the universe if you know what I mean )

 

[dieValkyrie]

I actively try to find a character I can identify with in any given media I'm watching or reading. I like finding a character I feel represents myself and helps me relate better to the setting and story. I also like identifying characters with people I know, such as "this character is such a Victor", because I guess it makes things more real and relatable to me.

That being said, it isn't necessary for my enjoyment. I think it's rather that I try to put myself in other people's shoes anyways, in real life and fiction. I like examining people and trying to relate to them, so me finding characters that remind me of myself or that I see the people I know in is more of a side-effect than a goal. I've always been able to find a character I identify in pretty much everything I see because I'm pretty open to understanding all types of people.

Even if a story is about an all-male group of soldiers, if it's well-written enough to have contrasting characters I can probably find a soldier to identify with.

Fiction is very much an experience for me and I like to fully absorb myself in the world that the story is creating. Acting is a major passion for me, so I think that urge to disassociate from myself and disappear into a character just manifests itself whenever I'm involved enough in a work of fiction.

 

[Within]

How often and how strongly do you identify with characters in the books you read, or the movies you see? Are these characters usually similar to you, different from you, or an example of what you would like to be/wish you were? What does it mean to identify with a fictional character - what do you see as the nature of the identification? Is the process useful in any way?

I over the years I have identified with several, but after analytical thought just a scarce number remain. The ones that I can truly identify with.
There's a duality to your post. Your question is like a mirror in a mirror. I surely notice limited aspects of characters that I can put myself next to in a given situation as the same type of fixed behavior that I would display under those specific circumstances.

I've enjoyed reading, watching TV shows and movies my whole life, but after all this time of digesting different worlds, I've still only 'really' identified with the same number of characters that you may count on one hand. Most of them are antagonists even if I consider myself a protagonist in the lives that my being effect.

What I mean by really identifying with a character is that you don't have to strip away their raison d'être in order to do so. Their hopes, wishes, dreams and goals would remain in them as in me.

 

[Aleksei]

I tend to strongly identify with characters I have an affinity with -- usually characters that have similar philosophies or quirks as I do, and normally that I find cool. It's how I pick my forum avatars.

 

[Viridian]

I actively try to find a character I can identify with in any given media I'm watching or reading. I like finding a character I feel represents myself and helps me relate better to the setting and story. I also like identifying characters with people I know, such as "this character is such a Victor", because I guess it makes things more real and relatable to me.

Heh, I relate to that. Also, sometimes, I can see two characters and imagine myself as a "blend" of them. Pretty peculiar, I guess.

 

[dieValkyrie]

Heh, I relate to that. Also, sometimes, I can see two characters and imagine myself as a "blend" of them. Pretty peculiar, I guess.

Interesting. I was going to say I don't think I've done that before, but then I remember that I'm torn between Buffy and Anya for character I relate to most from BtVS. On the one hand I have an intense sense of obligation and duty that Buffy feels, but I'm also very quirky and strange like Anya.

Also, I'm pretty sure if Liz Lemon and Jenna Maroney had a baby, it would be me. I have so many certain traits from both of them and I even look like a blend of them (a blonde with black-rimmed glasses).

 

[Viridian]

Interesting. I was going to say I don't think I've done that before, but then I remember that I'm torn between Buffy and Anya for character I relate to most from BtVS. On the one hand I have an intense sense of obligation and duty that Buffy feels, but I'm also very quirky and strange like Anya.

Also, I'm pretty sure if Liz Lemon and Jenna Maroney had a baby, it would be me. I have so many certain traits from both of them and I even look like a blend of them (a blonde with black-rimmed glasses).

Yeah, it's sort of a fun "game". Right now I'm playing VLR and I consider myself 55% K / 45% Luna.

 

[dieValkyrie]

Yeah, it's sort of a fun "game". Right now I'm playing VLR and I consider myself 55% K / 45% Luna.

I've never heard of that game but I looked it up and was pretty surprised lol. A giant robot-looking guy and a sweet pacifist girl? You must have a very interesting personality to say the least! n_n