4 Comments

The NPC meme was amusing before it was popularised by the people it was made to deride and subsequently lost all meaning. I remember hearing it used by someone who would fit the description and realising it had been co-opted into word sludge faster than expected.

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It's sorta like how the word hipster used to be used - no one ever thinks it applies to them, it's always describing someone else.

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We live in a world of instant gratification and social isolation, so waiting in line for something nice provides the joy of anticipation and a shared experience with strangers.

Waiting for the band to come on, cooking a long recipe, turning over a vinyl record, hearing bass through the club wall as you wait to get in. Waiting can be pleasant, even fun.

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There are kinds of waiting that I find enjoyable and would consider healthy if not essential - such as the examples you list. Waiting in lines rarely falls into that category for me but there are definitely exceptions in which it becomes fun.

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