Throughout Playing for Pizza, Rick shows many traits that reflect human nature in general. When he is run out of Cleveland, Rick eventually decides to flee the entire country because of his newly gained infamy.

By doing this, Rick shows the human nature to avoid humility if at all possible. He knows that wherever he goes, he will be ridiculed and laughed at because of his last performance. Instead of facing this, he is too scared to go anywhere and even refuses to go home because he knows that even his hometown will be critical of him. Rick doesn’t show any courage in doing this and shows that when people are against the wall, they will flee.

Another example of human nature is when Rick is unsure about going to Italy.

He knows nothing about the culture and will have no close ties if he gets into trouble. Naturally, Rick should be nervous. Human nature tells us to avoid things that we are unfamiliar with and Rick is doing simply that. He doesn’t know the language, culture, or anyone there, and yet he must find a way to live there happily. He is hesitant when his agent first tells him the offer but accepts the challenge. Despite his uncertainty, Rick makes the transition smoothly and proves that just because you are unfamiliar with something doesn’t mean that you can’t adapt.

One more example of human nature that Ricks displays is his admiration of women.

At the opera house, Rick quickly sets his eyes on one of the actresses and is determined to see her again. This attraction shows that no matter where he is in the world, he is still going to have a desire for women. When he first arrives in Parma, Rick is bummed that there are no cheerleaders like Archie promised. Rick has grown up in a world where women are everywhere, and now all of a sudden he can’t find one. Despite the language barrier, he shows that no matter what, he will always want to have a girl near him.