'Escapism'


Escapism.

People talk about this a lot when they're talking about books. Or graphic novels. Or fairy tales. Stories in general. If you just google 'books to escape reality quotes,' you'll see what I mean. Every day people use stories to get away from their troubles and see a happy ending. But it seems like the way escapism is viewed today seems a little wrong. So let's talk.


What is 'escapism'? Dictionary.com defines it as 'the avoidance of reality by absorption of the mind in entertainment or in an imaginative situation, activity, etc.' Basically, using something you enjoy to get away from it all. Every so often (or sometimes, very often), we all need a break from our problems, and stories are a great way to distract us. For a short amount of time, we can dive into a different world and watch the characters as they defeat monsters, travel great distances, and fall in love. We can have a different life for a few hours before going back to our everyday activities. If that isn't magic, I don't know what is, and it's a good feeling. So why do I keep seeing people insulting it?

I've seen people call reality the unreal thing and the stories reality, which sounds weird in the first place. I've seen people act like temporarily escaping from your problems is lazy and childish. Excuse me, but haven't you ever gotten into a really good book series? And wanting an escape isn't childish. Constantly thinking about our problems isn't going to make them any better. It's healthy for the body and the brain to take a little break from your stress, and if you get really into a fandom, you can make new friends! What's bad about that?

I like being able to escape. Diss it if you like, but if I can take an hour or two to get away from the stuff that's bothering me, heck yeah, I'm gonna take it. I happily sacrifice hours every day to reading and writing because it makes me feel good. That's one of the advantages of being a writer, because not only do you get to escape to a different world, but you have some control over it, and if you ask me, that's pretty darn cool.



That's it for today! What's your opinion on escapism? What's your favorite book to escape into? Let me know in the comments!

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Comments

  1. Megan the NutmegJanuary 22, 2019 at 8:09 AM

    Great post, Bethany! I agree that the escapist aspects of storytelling are a healthful thing. (Tolkien has a great quote on fantasy being escapist.) Of course, like all healthful things, it can be abused and turned into something *un*healthy; but still, that's no reason to devalue stories! At their best, stories do more than distract us from our problems: they enhance the way we see the world, give us hope and a deeper glimpse into the truth.

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    Replies
    1. BethanyJanuary 22, 2019 at 5:03 PM

      Thank you! And I thoroughly agree with what you're saying.

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