Am I just living life now for the story I’ll tell about it later?
A phrase that has relatively recently gained notoriety and has been inspiring people across the world is “do it for the plot.” Defined by the trusty Urban Dictionary, this phrase encourages people to “see yourself as the main character of the story that is your life. You maintain the outlook that every moment - good or bad - is merely a plot point for your larger narrative. You are the writer, producer, director and star of your life. Start living unapologetically, and give them a plot twist that no one saw coming.”
Apparently this phrase was coined by entrepreneur and internet big-sister, Serena Kerrigan, who in July 2021 posted a TikTok where she says, "this is your reminder that if something works out, great, and if it doesn't, it's for the plot." This phrase picked up and took on a life of its own, with various other TikTokers being inspired to “do it for the plot,” and make dramatic, big choices, living like the main characters in their lives.
Our generation’s take on YOLO, essentially, "do it for the plot" means to do something regardless of the potential for a negative outcome, viewing yourself as the main character in your life, acting in a way to move the story along, no matter what happens. Should I take the risk or play it safe? This phrase encourages us to live big, and do it (make the choice, take the risk, do the thing) for the plot of our lives.
What exactly are these things being done ‘for the plot’? I’ve seen some videos of people confessing to things like “justifying the worst decision humanly possible by saying ‘do it for the plot,’” and as funny as that admission can be, watching some ways the phrase has been used shows that a lot of the actions taken aren’t just fueled by brazen bravery and the people being wildly interesting characters – privilege is a big factor in the background. Book the trip to Europe for the plot! Move across the country for the plot! Quit your job and start your dream business for the plot! Okay, so, that’s clearly not just ‘for the plot,’ and people making these decisions probably have some safety nets that allow the plot to continue in case this one doesn’t work out. But even if some of us don’t have the resources to live with being interesting as our only concern, there is merit in considering the mindset encouraged by this term.
Our generation lives in a media-saturated world, with it being common to consume hours of shows, movies, TikToks, or other forms of media a day. It’s no wonder that we are using narrative terms to describe our lives. “Be the main character of your life,” we are advised, “do it for the plot.” I often explain interesting choices I’ve made by saying “it was very in character for me.” But using these terms to describe life makes me wonder — are we actually living our lives, or just concerned about the outside observations, about how we’ll tell the story or make the post afterwards?
I think it’s okay to want to be interesting, to want to craft an interesting life. It’s okay to live bravely, to make interesting choices. It’s often okay to do the thing that will make the best story. But also, who are we being interesting for? Approval of friends? Social media engagement? At what point do we commodify our experiences, during the moment, afterwards? When we commodify our experiences, who is it for? Ourselves and our memories, or others and their approval?
How can we live life in the moment? I don’t think I have the answers to these questions. But I think we could start to pay attention to the stories we tell, and notice the details that we hang on to, the parts we highlight and parts we skim over. This will help us start to be more aware of how we live. Further, this may help us treat other people in our stories with respect – not just telling our story with other people as side characters, but real people with real feelings who took real part in the experience.
I’m not the best at this; I understand that it is a struggle. I just know that life is more than the stories we tell about it. There’s a tension: we should experience life, and do things that will make good stories, but also remember that life is more than the stories we tell about it afterwards, more than the posts we make, more than the photos in albums. So go, make the choice for the plot, but also, just live life. You may find that living life without concern for how you’ll tell about it later may just give you the best stories of all.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.