i recently saw a tiktok saying that “would've could've should've” type of characters are the ones that don’t try things, lost their ambition, always chose the safe option, etc., they always think that they could’ve done so much more, but they fear they’ll fail and their thoughts about themselves not being good enough will be justified, they think themselves stupid and always less than others, not in a whiny way, they can genuinely not get better. since then i’m trying to get a book exactly like this.
i’d really love it if there wasn’t any happy ending and the character just learns how to have low self esteem but in an peaceful way? for example Notes from underground by Dostoevsky has a MC who’s miserable but finds comfort in it.
by thesecretagent13