“You and I have a special talent,” Claire says to Drew. “And I saw it immediately. We’re the substitute people. I’ve been the substitute person my whole life. I’m not an Ellen. I never wanted to be an Ellen. And I’m not a Cindy either … I like being alone too much. I mean, I’m with a guy who is married to his academic career. I rarely see him and I’m the substitute person there. I like it that way. It’s a lot less pressure.”
I watched Elizabethtown recently and realized that I am a "Substitute Person".
Here are the Pros and Cons of being a substitute person.
Pros
Substitute People remind you of other people. Merely by having a similar quality or appearance to someone you already know and like, it is easy to transfer those good feelings onto this substitute person and form an immediate attachment. In other words, Substitute people and likable and make friends easily.
Substitute People are interested in your interests. You don't have to explain your love for pokemon or apologize for spending your free time fixing an old car. They get it! They appreciate your interests and show you that they care about what you care about and even know the perfect things to say about it.
They are also "teachable", if they don't already have the same interests or skills as you, they soon will.
They are non threatening. Wives love them as much as their husbands. Therefore, husbands get some free flirts and wives rarely get jealous. They know that they are the "real person".
They fill in the holes in your life.
They fill in the holes in your life.
They come into your life at the right time, for the right amount, and leave in the same fashion. They know they are temporary and accept that fact.
There is no pressure or unnecessary planning of the future.
Cons
For every substitute person there is always a "real person".
They are in every romantic comedy, but never "get the girl/guy" and no one feels bad about it.
They were just the place holder for the real "heroine/ hero" of the story.
They are appreciated more for their commonalities than their unique qualities.
The substitute person is reliant on the whims and tolerance of the other person. The story ends when the "other person" decides.
