Living is not the same thing as filling an empty space in a game. An NPC is just that - add some extra background staff so that a city feels live-like. You are alive. Go live.

NPCs immitate life, but very pourly. Do not take them as an inspiration.

Don't try to ignore the world around you as it is the direct opposite of a game world which is static.

Real life is dynamic, changing and if you behave as an NPC for a long time, you are going to have a bad time eventually