Hello, friends!
As you're creating characters for your stories, you choose their identity, their backstory, their goals and desires. Personal philosophy is one of the things you can include. Sometimes, it emerges naturally as the story goes - and sometimes, it can play a bigger role, and should be planned beforehands.
In this post, I'd like to briefly explain some of the philosophies a character can have, and how to incorporate it in writing. Of course those are just examples, so don't feel bound by them.
Let's get into it!
NIHILISM
→ the belief that all values are baseless and that nothing can be known or communicated
→ for example: “life is meaningless”, “there is no truth”, “god is dead”
A character who's a nihilist can:
→ be indifferent to both good and bad things happening around them
→ break the societal rules
→ live their life day by day, not worrying or planning into the future
→ be destructive and/or suicidal
ABSURDISM
→ the belief that all values are baseless, BUT one should accept it and rebel against it by embracing what life has to offer
→ for example: “life has no meaning, so let's just enjoy what we have”, “everything sucks but the sun will rise nevertheless”
A character who's an absurdist can:
→ be someone who finds reasons to smile and laugh in the darkest scenarios
→ be happy despite acknowledging everything that's bad going on
→ be unbothered by nonsensical things happening around
→ not really care about their safety, and instead perceive danger as fun or an experiment
STOICISM
→ teaches the development of self-control and fortitude as a means of overcoming destructive emotions, accepting the present moment whatever is happening
→ for example: “why would I complain?”, “I don't care about what I can't control”, “if you're unhappy it's your fault”
A character who's a stoic can:
→ not care about the material things at all
→ be very accepting of any misfortunes
→ be very calm and live very simply
→ crave to collect knowledge and become as virtuous as possible
HEDONISM
→ the belief that pleasure is the most important thing in life
→ for example: “I will eat the cake if I feel like it”, “I’m going to read a book instead of cleaning”, “Why not go to a party, it'll bring me joy”
A character who's a hedonist can:
→ indulge in activities that bring them joy without looking at the consequences
→ be quite egotistical and go for what's the most pleasant for them in the moment
→ avoid any situations where they can be met with pain
→ escape into pleasures of life, ignoring their responsibilities
UTILITARIANISM
→ a belief that an action is right if it tends to promote happiness and wrong if it tends to produce sadness, or the reverse of happiness
→ for example: “if it brings happiness, I should do it”, “I won't do it, because the consequences wouldn't be positive”
A character who's an utilitarian can:
→ avoid lying at all
→ abide the laws and regulations at all times
→ care about making people around them happy as well and do things that bring them happiness
→ overthink the consequences of their everyday choices
EXISTENTIALISM
→ a belief that we are each responsible for creating purpose or meaning in our own lives
→ examples: “I walk my own path”, “man is nothing else than what he makes of himself”, “life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced”
A character who's an existentialist can:
→ not rely on any higher power like government or God
→ have existential dread and anxiety
→ believe that “nothing is holding them back” from achieving whatever they want
→ always try to stay subjective
PACIFISM
→ a belief that war and violence are unjustifiable and that all disputes should be settled by peaceful means
→ for example: “until we stop harming other beings we're still savages”, “let’s talk about it before we do something stupid”
A character who's a pacifist can:
→ refuse to fight even if their safety is in danger
→ refuse to take a part of any kind of bullying
→ try to talk everything out when there's any trouble
→ strongly oppose any ongoing wars
DARWIN'S LAW
→ only the strongest prevail
→ for example: "if it bothers you stand up and fight, otherwise don't be surprised", "you deserve to fail if you're not willing to go outside your comfort zone"
A character living by this belief can:
→ be tough-loving
→ be a bully
→ not mind hurting others
→ be very competitive
→ refuse to help if it puts them on a lower position
→ always put themselves first
…And of course, their philosophy can be a part of a RELIGION they follow - like Christianity or Buddhism. I won't write about religions in this post since it would take like a million pages and I don't feel qualified enough for it. Click HERE to read about creating fictive belief systems from scratch.
Also it's needless to say that the philosophies I mentioned in this post are just some of the most famous ones, and there's much more to it that you can find.
For those of you who watch anime: there are some very interesting life philosophies that you can find in an anime called Durarara!!! Main characters and side characters all have their own unique perspectives and interesting ideas about existence and the world around them.
That's all from me for today. Stay safe and thank you for reading!
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