How is everyone doing? I’m doing good. If you follow me on Facebook, you’ll know I just celebrated a birthday. I did not do anything special. I shopped, had Chinese food, played video games, and read a little. Of course, the weather was terrible. It snowed most of the morning and rained most of the afternoon. But since I’m not one for extravagant birthdays, it wasn’t a big deal. Enough about my birthday. Let’s talk about Mr. Villain’s Day Off.
Today, we are going to focus on hyper-fixation and obsession. But before we dive into those topics, I will tell you a little about this show.
About the Show
Our “Mr. Villain” is an alien called The General. He is feared and respected amongst alien-kind. His mission is to invade Earth, conquer it, and claim it for his home planet. But, it isn’t all work for The General. He gets time off. And what does he like to do on those days? Go to the zoo and stare at pandas. The General loves pandas. He dreams of a world where he has eradicated all humans, and no one is left but his kind and the pandas. So, does his love of all things panda fall into hyper-fixation or obsession? Let’s dig a little deeper to find out.
There is the Difference
It is incredible how often we use the wrong word for the wrong thing. Misnomers are prominent on social media. You often hear words like “narcissist,” “triggered,” and “attacked” used at the wrong time. And don’t get me started on “woke”.
I say all this to say that I thought that hyper fixation and obsession were the same. But they are not. Hyper-fixations are “typically enjoyable and do not bring distress or hindrance”1. Obsessions “target the things people value most and therefore bring feelings of distress, as they feel like their sense of self is being threatened.”
What About the General
There is no doubt that The General is hyper-fixated on pandas. Going to the zoo, watching the pandas, buying panda merchandise, talking about pandas, and thinking about them brings him joy. What is cool is that he gets to share his fixation with others. In episode two, he and a little boy spend hours at the zoo trying to see the color of a panda’s tail. This common ground leads to The General encouraging the boy to pursue his dream of being a vet.
If we were going to call something an obsession, it is The General’s desire to destroy humanity. Even when he has heart-warming moments with the people he encounters, that intrusive thought of ending humanity seeps into his mind. I am eager to see how his panda fixation will impact his mission.
Wrapping It Up
Well, that’s it for Mr. Villain’s Day Off for now. Next time, we return to Doctor Elise: The Royal Lady with the Lamp. We will discuss relying on skill when the pressure’s on. I will talk to you later!
Warren, Elle. “Hyper-fixation vs. Obsession: What’s the Difference?” NOCD, 20 Dec. 2023, www.treatmyocd.com/what-is-ocd/info/ocd-stats-and-science/hyperfixation-vs-obsession-whats-the-difference. Accessed 28 Jan. 2024.
One response to “Mr. Villain: Hyperfixation or Obsession?”
[…] off just as seriously as he takes his mission. His off time is to hyper-obsess over pandas (see my earlier post on this show), go to the convenience store, or do […]