On The Benefits And Pitfalls Of Living Through Fantasy

On the Benefits and Pitfalls of Living Through Fantasy

For me, life is like a movie. I can always see its narrative arc. I can always see my character archetype. Narrative arcs tend to have limited options, so you try to spot the ending. You try to find who the other main characters are and guess where your story will take you. You try to spot the heroes, villains, love interests and comic relief of your life. You try to spot where you play these roles for others.

In short, you live in a world of fantasy. This can be both the best and worst thing for your life.

On one hand you can live life with the reassurance that the story will finish. You can see how the trials you face can motivate your character arc and enhance your story. However, once you feel you've completed an arc, you feel a bit empty. Life works in installments of plot for you (series, novels, episodes, etc). When you complete an arc you get into a rut and you have no reassurance it's going anywhere until a new plot unfolds. You get scared you could be stuck like this forever.

When you live in a world of fantasy there is always somewhere to escape to. Always your vision of how it could go differently, a fantastical plot of another universe, a made-up romance, or a wild adventure. But you know this isn't real. The discrepancy between fantasy and reality can often be confusing, jarring, and misleading.

Of course sometimes it helps to go through life as if the fantasy is the reality. To go through life thinking you deserve all the good things, that you are learning through your own adventure. It's a great way to think about yourself. It's how you think about others that becomes the problem.

Who did you unfairly cast as a villain? What when the happily ever after you expected doesn't come? How about when you lose someone you were hoping would be a main character?

I am constantly tortured and comforted by the fantasy I surround myself with. Of course I could say the same about my reality.