What it is
In video games, an NPC, a non-player character, runs on a script. It says the same lines and walks the same path no matter what you do. As a metaphor, it’s a person living on inertia, reacting instead of deciding.
It’s harsh when you aim it at other people. It’s useful when you aim it at yourself.
How it shows up for me
I wrote in 2024: “I had stood by like a lifeless NPC, fumbling through a river of bland decisions and reactions, floating in what I felt was inertia and complacency.” And: “NPCs go around scripted and being inconsequential. I was done with that and got the help I needed.”