The phrase 'main-character syndrome' describes the belief that events will continue to move at the protagonist's pace. American decision-makers could recognize Japan as a serious opponent yet still assume that Tokyo would not choose war before the United States considered itself ready. That expectation treated American preparations as the clock governing the crisis. An opponent could instead choose its own timetable and exploit the defenders' unfinished preparations.
Notable Point · 20:41-22:00
How American assumptions ceded the initiative
American planners behaved as though Japan would wait until the United States was ready, an assumption that made an unexpected northern strike easier to overlook.