--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There's a horrible fallacy that exists in…" description: "\"There's a horrible fallacy that exists in the popular discussion of fiction these days: the idea that a successful central character need be 'likeable'..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04e/andrew-o-hagan-12635_breathe_there-s-a-horrible-fallacy-that-exists-i_973081.png" --- # There's a horrible fallacy that exists in the popular… ![“There's a horrible fallacy that exists in the popular discussion of fiction these days: the idea that a successful central character need be 'likeable' or 'sympathetic'. It is surely more important that they be human, no? More crucial that they breathe?” quote by Andrew O'Hagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04e/andrew-o-hagan-12635_breathe_there-s-a-horrible-fallacy-that-exists-i_973081.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04e/andrew-o-hagan-12635_breathe_there-s-a-horrible-fallacy-that-exists-i_973081.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04e/andrew-o-hagan-12635_breathe_there-s-a-horrible-fallacy-that-exists-i_973081.png) > “There's a horrible fallacy that exists in the popular discussion of fiction these days: the idea that a successful central character need be 'likeable' or 'sympathetic'. It is surely more important that they be human, no? More crucial that they breathe?” [Andrew O'Hagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-o-hagan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A protagonist’s humanity matters more than likability; authenticity drives narrative depth **In simple terms:** Human flaws make characters compelling Key Takeaway Prioritize depth over audience approval Themes fiction character authenticity Mood critical thoughtful Type literary analytical When to use this quote - novel writing - screenplay development - character workshops - literary criticism Key Concepts human nature narrative theory Questions to Reflect On - What makes a character feel real to you? - Can a story thrive without a sympathetic hero? A Different Perspective Readers may reject unlikable leads, limiting commercial success ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Breathe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breathe/) [Central](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/central/) [Central Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/central-character-576461/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Crucial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crucial/) [Days](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/days/) [Discussion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discussion/) [Discussion Fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discussion-fiction-276009/) [Exists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exists/) [Fallacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fallacy/) [Fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction/) [Horrible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horrible/) [Human](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human/) [Idea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idea/) [Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important/) [Likeable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/likeable/) [Likeable Sympathetic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/likeable-sympathetic-1882234/) [More](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/more/) [Need](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/need/) [Popular](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/popular/) [Successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/successful/) [Surely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surely/) [Sympathetic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sympathetic/) ## Related quotes > [There's always that discussion about fiction about how do you market it - these are books for boys, these are books for girls, these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-a-weatherly/there-s-always-that-discussion-about-fiction-about-how-do-you-market/) [L.A. 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