Son of steel and daughter of air

I have recently read a number (that is a bit of an exaggeration, but more than one) of articles/posts/musings with the thesis "be the main character in your life/don't get stuck as a supporting character." The ones I have read have been targeted specifically at women, so it's a mix of don't be stuck as the love interest/don't be stuck as the best friend role.

Now, yes, I am the girl who really wants an "I'm not your manic pixie dream girl" t-shirt (so useful; potentially so adorable if designed right), but I do take issue with this on a few fronts.

First, these articles are not at all literary analysis of why it is better to be the main character. Instead, they are short-hand for things like, don't just be the cheerleader/support role, go after what you want, know when to prioritize your needs, be ambitious and driven and follow your dreams, don't get stuck on the sidelines, live intentionally, etc. I am here to tell you that plenty of main characters (often, yes, the more irritating ones) are extremely passive in their lives, so...

Second, to the extent that they are referring to sidekick characters, they are referring to the poorly written ones, and it's not really possible to be that kind of character because they are two dimensional. That is the problem with them/why you shouldn't want to be them, and also why you really can't, if you are in fact a real person.

Third, there are some sidekick characters I would much rather be. They tend to have less drama/messes. They are the characters, at least in some cases who are the most put together. I was reading an essay recently by an author who was contrasting her life with all its mess (the life of the main character) to a friend (the sidekick) who had egg spoons. Don't you want to be the one with the egg spoons?

To conclude this post and demonstrate how far I am from a manic pixie dream girl, here I am flying: