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If I watch a TV drama, it usually needs a fantasy element — space travel, time travel, superheroes, something to disconnect it from reality. After two decades as a pastor, daily carrying the emotional weight of those I served, seeing realistic suffering puts me in “shepherd mode,” wanting to accompany and help the characters through their struggles. (And even that is a coping mechanism, since suffering makes me lightheaded and nauseated unless I can help.) But when we saw previews for The Irrational with Jesse L. Martin, whom we loved as Joe in The Flash, it activated my lifelong interest (and degree) in psychology, so we decided to try it.
Watching Episode 2, a line of dialogue resonated with me: “Our assumptions about what others think of us are often wrong.” My ADHD gives me a paradoxical experience with this. Challenges with object permanence mean that I forget to connect with friends if not reminded to. But if I realize that a friend hasn’t contacted me for a long time, my rejection sensitive dysphoria, also an ADHD trait, makes me assume they’re upset with me.
But that’s all it is: an assumption. An expectation. In TTRPGs, assumptions are gifts for the DM, since all you have to do is flip one to get a plot twist. “The bartender is a fey.” “The floor vanishes.” The plot goes from there with its own set of assumptions. Flip it again, and the story gets more and more interesting. And of course, given the ableist assumptions of most TTRPG settings, simply adding accessibility or representation can give you a ramp down all kinds of rabbit holes!
The same applies to real life — when we get stuck on a problem, sometimes it helps to flip an assumption. That person likes you more than you think. It’s not a bad hair day — you have variety in your hairstyles. That mistake has now given you proficiency in handling similar situations in the future!
What assumptions are holding you back? How can you flip the script to give your life a plot twist? |
