At it's core, it shouldn't be a conservative meme at all, if anything it's a "free thinker" or a libertarian / anarchist point of view. I think it is labelled "conservative" is because the left have reacted strongly against it, thereby defining it, and reinforcing the forms that cause that reaction by their opposition. It's a kind of virus which gets stronger the more anti viral counter measures are applied.

Anyhow, I first heard about someone calling other people an NPC in a robert anton wilson celebration event 5 years ago by a man on acid talking about how many people in the world are NPCs when you try to talk to them about something real or important. I thought it quite funny, was a bit uneasy, sort of agreed, and sort of disagreed.