i never was an npc. i don't think you can stop becoming an npc, as an npc always by default follows societal norms and consensus, never questioning them.  the societal consensus can change however, but that has more to do with the societal influencers changing, not the societal followers changing. if the societal movers decided that tomorrow all women should go back into the kitchen, a week later it would be an average normie position.
Canada