Join & Connect

Films rely on one dimensional characters to add realism to an environment. These roles are generally walk on parts - your waiter, your mum with a buggy crossing the street, your taxi driver. They are the unnamed space crew vaporised by angry aliens. Or indeed they are the angry aliens. Or zombies. Or the team of doctors who quarantined ET. These are the characters in a film that don’t demonstrate growth, change or internal conflict. They have one trait, one title, one role.

Thankfully reality isn’t this linear or indeed this tedious. In real life space crews have names, memories, favourite films, hobbies, childhood scars and secret family recipes for brownies. I can’t be sure about zombies, but the same will be true of your waiter, your mum with buggy, the taxi driver, and I’m going to go out on a limb and also say the angry aliens.

Our life is more than a walk on part. We are a million times more vibrant than a one-dimensional character, yet we have the tendency to box ourselves into similar simple titles. Whether this title be our position at work, at home, in a pastime or among different groups of friends we often hide our personality variations and play scene specific roles. In essence we become one dimensional characters in a series of walk on parts, playing out supportive performances in our own life. 

On her exhaustive travels Gloria Steinem made a point of talking with the driver of every taxi she got in. Their stories form a significant part of her book ‘My Life on the Road’ as these drivers gave her insight she’d have otherwise regretfully missed. Driver and passenger connected beyond prescriptive titles to form strong bonds of friendship and understanding.

Steinem’s experience is testament to the realisation that none of us are support actors, and to fully appreciate ourselves, others and our collective potential we need to connect beyond our one dimensional titles and embrace the major three dimensional characters we all are. A taxi driver is more than a taxi driver. A mum more than a mum. Angry aliens, there’s so much more to you than anger and alienness. 

Except for you. Yes you, the Doctors who quarantined ET. You hear me. You stay one dimensional. Because that’s all you deserve. Poor ET.

Quite simply Claire for Hub Dot.