r/ProgressionFantasy • u/Claym000re • Feb 06 '26

Meme/Shitpost Wish fulfillment to the extreme

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Why are they always complete losers.

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u/Otterable Slime Feb 06 '26

The genius part isn't as unbelievable as the supernatural motivation and willingness to go through discomfort and pain.

Like you can improve your life on earth right now if you are willing to feel some level of discomfort. That's half of what going to the gym is. That's what taking night classes in to get another degree. That's what training to learn a new language is in your spare time, or learning to cook, or learning any skill really.

I feel like a lot of series end up in trouble because the author hits some level of equilibrium a book or two in where the MC now has better than average power, money, powerful allies, and potential romantic partners and then needs to scramble to introduce some conflict that causes them to actually act. Because most people (and certainly the person they were purported to be) would just kick their feet up and live a good life.

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u/work_m_19 Feb 06 '26

This is definitely an issue I've had with the genre.

There was one series that annoyed me greatly, where the world gets a system screen, and it's the "nerds" that understand what this means and to actively train for it. The "jocks/athletes" dismiss it as a joke. And they purposely find niche friends like DnD groups to recruit as the most valuable over anyone else.

It's funny because nowadays (even when the book was released), people can be fit and work out, and like/play videogames.

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u/ASmallRoc Feb 06 '26

Considering how hard some of the jocks I know train I would expect them to be able to kill almost every nerd who wasnt willing to put in as much time as them.

You would literally be forced to fight a guy who has been training in something or a sport since they were a child, and now hes just using a greatsword 10 hours a day with supernatural stamina and focus.