I've recently realized something about all the reincarnation stories i've read. There unrealistic, and not for the obvious reason of starting life over. It's because despite the changes to situation , power status, and station in life the person themselves dosent change. For example if you were a normal guy who worked at a desk before you died your not going to suddenly devote yourself to fitness and learning a million crafts. I feel reincarnation is used as a crutch idea for people who never do anything to tell themselves if i had one more chance... Instead of doing it now. 

What'll you guys think

P.S Posted this in debate too

I don't doubt what you say. A lot of stories are basically instant gratification to some degree, and the reincarnation trope easily fits in that category for the start anyways. But that doesn't have to be a bad thing, not in my opinion anyways.

It worked well in Mushoku Tensei because the author kept some aspects of the MC's while evolving the rest. But yeah a more realistic reincarnation story would be interesting. I think I remember a couple that were well done with partial memory loss and a personality change, but I can't remember their names. Got any?

In general, the human is very complex.

Changes in the body can cause changes in personality (one of the most prominent examples is depressions, which are treated with something radical as antidepressants because the hormonal balance is off and it's really hard to change that after 'the damage is done'), if you ever had long-term contact with a more serious case of depression, then you know that mood swings are real, and there are phases when the hormonal balance causes the sick one to be a real jerk, while at other phases the depressive can be actually very caring.

This still holds true with less strong examples, like the (male) climacteric period, the body reactions to losing a limb, which causes many people to go haywire first and leave a permanent change afterward and so on.

Body and mind are connected. There are cases when people are physically fine but die because of their mental/emotional state.

So I'm more on the opposite side on the spectrum, people don't change enough when being reincarnated. It can be hard to maintain your whole thinking process when you're still in your first life, but with a whole new body, a whole new balance, such a different body perception, and such, it has to be near impossible.

But like with most fiction, I think the delivery makes a great part of the enjoyment.

'BlaiseCorvin' pid='819986' dateline='1483512673' Wrote: Lots of people decide to change themselves, especially after a traumatic event.

I'm really not sure why the OP has a hard time suspending disbelief that someone would change after dying.

Lot's of people don't change though. You say generally people do whereas some think people don't. Anyways whether people change doesn't even have to be the question, since my view is that typical reincarnation stories is nothing about change and all about giving someone who more or less accepts death and there mediocrity but is suddenly given everything on a platter.
Of course like the above responce, I believe the delivery matters. It can give the story a different appearance to the typical quick satisfaction stories, but the trope itself is a gratification type at heart I think.
I see why people see reincarnation as about change, but I've never seen it like that and from the stories I've read it has never proved me wrong yet...although there probably is a story somewhere where it really is about change

'BlaiseCorvin' pid='820112' dateline='1483709152' Wrote:

'Paw' pid='820021' dateline='1483559920' Wrote:

'BlaiseCorvin' pid='819986' dateline='1483512673' Wrote: Lots of people decide to change themselves, especially after a traumatic event.

I'm really not sure why the OP has a hard time suspending disbelief that someone would change after dying.

Lot's of people don't change though. You say generally people do whereas some think people don't. Anyways whether people change doesn't even have to be the question, since my view is that typical reincarnation stories is nothing about change and all about giving someone who more or less accepts death and there mediocrity but is suddenly given everything on a platter.
Of course like the above responce, I believe the delivery matters. It can give the story a different appearance to the typical quick satisfaction stories, but the trope itself is a gratification type at heart I think.
I see why people see reincarnation as about change, but I've never seen it like that and from the stories I've read it has never proved me wrong yet...although there probably is a story somewhere where it really is about change

People who don't change are not MCs of books.

Nobody gives a shit about the person who makes the New Years resolution to lose weight for the 10th time and doesn't follow through with it.

MCs are usually exceptional people.  My point is that it's not exactly uncommon for people to make a big change after a traumatic event.

That's a fair point. I agree that people can change and that MCs tend to be exceptional people so therefore MCs are people who change...it's just that I feel that if the author wanted to write a story about a character that changes, the author doesn't have to use the reincarnation trope.
Like I said it is easy for an author to write a story about a lame boot-polisher in a fantasy setting and then describe his changes as he rope swings from one success to another. Or an author can write a story about an incompetent accountant in the real world and his struggles up the ladder for miney and love etc. The author has no need to throw a reject from one world into another world, so that we can experience the MC undergoing change...that kind of change is just kinda fake to me. Give the MC everything on a platter after screwing up in one world, so he can be the hero of another?
To me that seems that the author wants to provide instant gratification...which was what the thread is about right?
But that's still fun. I enjoy and appreciate that when I read it. Every story is equal in satisfying its reader's appetite, so the reincarnation thing is fine to me anyways.
And as for people making a big change after a traumatic event...I guess I didn't express myself well. Yeah, you are right just to be clear, I agree that people can change. I'm just a bit cynical, and think that generally most people don't. I was going off point I suppose haha

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