I may love Fantasy fiction and may write it with a religious fanaticism it seems, but I do think you're right. It seems like fantasies are taking over when we need hard-headed thinking and ideas and pragmatism. Bravo Spiff this was an excellent post on the importance of being realistic about life.
I too love fantasy and myth, including fantasy writing. But this would qualify as ideas being tested against reality. In this case fiction writing, publishing etc.
It is untested fantasies that are damaging society. Myths like perfect equality etc.
And thanks for your kind comments. Glad you enjoyed.
I stand totally corrected, sorry for being clueless here lol, good point. I do think that escapism though or too much of it has rotted many people’s brains as you pointed out.
I think that untested ideas that do not work even in theory have damaged things.
Thanks for your clarification and excellent article.
I always enjoy your writing. You are one of the few writers I subscribe to on Substack where I will save your work until I can sit down and actually absorb it.
My life has been very busy lately. I finally had time. This essay was worth the wait.
I'm not sure why people want to exchange reality for something artificially created or some ideal imagined one.
I was thinking of two Hannah Arendt quotes while I was reading this,
"The future man seems possessed by a rebellion against human existence as it has been given, a free gift from nowhere (secularly speaking), which he wishes to exchange, as it were, for something he has made himself"
"What is most difficult is to love the world as it is. Loving the world means neither uncritical acceptance nor contemptuous rejection, but the unwavering facing up to and comprehension of that which is."
I think delusion is the better word. A delusion is less a dream of what could be as a model of reality which comes armed against any data or argument to the contrary. Many conspiracy theorists full under this category. Ditto for Marxists. Marxists are conspiracy theorists who abstract away the details. If the speaker is bourgeois, the speaker is defending class interest, etc.
With the Internet dividing people into echo chambers, delusions flourish. Ditto for the news networks going full on partisan. And, of course, " " Theory courses and degrees are nothing but degrees in delusion.
Delusion is indeed appropriate, I agree. But I think there is a broader foundation of fantasy, mental models, left hemisphere thinking etc. that is the basis for it all. I include those who have no political clout and are simply dreamers.
I think a delusion is something armed against criticism as you suggest, whereas fantasy is just wrong, perhaps innocently so.
I know plenty of delusional people quite impervious to facts or data or information. Covid taught us fear can very easily circumvent any rational thought processes.
Fantasies, and daydreams may for many be what keeps them from suicide. They see no hope, no path, and have no-one around to give them hands-on how-to advice about their lives or themselves. Often, they instead receive advice akin to yelling "Learn to swim!" to someone who is drowning. "Start a business" or "improve your outlook" or "learn how to network your skills" - all meaningless and pointless and really only uttered to make the utterer feel better.
The inherent pointlessness of life (asking "What's the meaning of life?" is what makes it pointless) and the necessity of you making meaning for it to have any, is a burden. Drugs, religion, entertaintment, fads, bandwagons whatever - all promising to be the panacea for the souldevouring ennui and anomie.
Now look at the contents of commerical fantasies produced this side the millennium:
The media eq. to Fentanyl and SSRI:s are what is being pumped out via movies, comics, novels, and not the least gaming.
Ask yourself how many times you've thought "That could never be made today", then consider why that is so. Who profits from causing despair and despondency and dependency among the westerners under age 40? Who wants them to look elsewhere than their own culture and civilisation, for heroes and positive examples?
The clue is in what races, what cultures, what peoples are never denigrated, are never the bad guys, are never deconstructed to oblivion.
I may love Fantasy fiction and may write it with a religious fanaticism it seems, but I do think you're right. It seems like fantasies are taking over when we need hard-headed thinking and ideas and pragmatism. Bravo Spiff this was an excellent post on the importance of being realistic about life.
I too love fantasy and myth, including fantasy writing. But this would qualify as ideas being tested against reality. In this case fiction writing, publishing etc.
It is untested fantasies that are damaging society. Myths like perfect equality etc.
And thanks for your kind comments. Glad you enjoyed.
Y'all nerds should read my fantasy novel! You could be the 4th and 5th people in the world to read it.
http://www.thedragonbehindthecrown.com/
Should you hate it, we need never speak of it again.
I stand totally corrected, sorry for being clueless here lol, good point. I do think that escapism though or too much of it has rotted many people’s brains as you pointed out.
I think that untested ideas that do not work even in theory have damaged things.
Thanks for your clarification and excellent article.
Uplifting as ever. Thanks Spliff.
Thanks. Glad you liked.
I always enjoy your writing. You are one of the few writers I subscribe to on Substack where I will save your work until I can sit down and actually absorb it.
My life has been very busy lately. I finally had time. This essay was worth the wait.
Thank you, it is kind of you to say. I am pleased you like them.
Excellent post, thank you. “Fisher-Price thinking” - I loved that.
I did too 😆
Good one Spiff!
Glad you liked.
Beautifully written, Thanks.
I'm not sure why people want to exchange reality for something artificially created or some ideal imagined one.
I was thinking of two Hannah Arendt quotes while I was reading this,
"The future man seems possessed by a rebellion against human existence as it has been given, a free gift from nowhere (secularly speaking), which he wishes to exchange, as it were, for something he has made himself"
"What is most difficult is to love the world as it is. Loving the world means neither uncritical acceptance nor contemptuous rejection, but the unwavering facing up to and comprehension of that which is."
Very apt quotes. Imagination and improvement has its place. But we live in an era where people get lost in their ideas and shun reality.
I think delusion is the better word. A delusion is less a dream of what could be as a model of reality which comes armed against any data or argument to the contrary. Many conspiracy theorists full under this category. Ditto for Marxists. Marxists are conspiracy theorists who abstract away the details. If the speaker is bourgeois, the speaker is defending class interest, etc.
With the Internet dividing people into echo chambers, delusions flourish. Ditto for the news networks going full on partisan. And, of course, " " Theory courses and degrees are nothing but degrees in delusion.
Delusion is indeed appropriate, I agree. But I think there is a broader foundation of fantasy, mental models, left hemisphere thinking etc. that is the basis for it all. I include those who have no political clout and are simply dreamers.
I think a delusion is something armed against criticism as you suggest, whereas fantasy is just wrong, perhaps innocently so.
I know plenty of delusional people quite impervious to facts or data or information. Covid taught us fear can very easily circumvent any rational thought processes.
Consider this:
Fantasies, and daydreams may for many be what keeps them from suicide. They see no hope, no path, and have no-one around to give them hands-on how-to advice about their lives or themselves. Often, they instead receive advice akin to yelling "Learn to swim!" to someone who is drowning. "Start a business" or "improve your outlook" or "learn how to network your skills" - all meaningless and pointless and really only uttered to make the utterer feel better.
The inherent pointlessness of life (asking "What's the meaning of life?" is what makes it pointless) and the necessity of you making meaning for it to have any, is a burden. Drugs, religion, entertaintment, fads, bandwagons whatever - all promising to be the panacea for the souldevouring ennui and anomie.
Now look at the contents of commerical fantasies produced this side the millennium:
The media eq. to Fentanyl and SSRI:s are what is being pumped out via movies, comics, novels, and not the least gaming.
Ask yourself how many times you've thought "That could never be made today", then consider why that is so. Who profits from causing despair and despondency and dependency among the westerners under age 40? Who wants them to look elsewhere than their own culture and civilisation, for heroes and positive examples?
The clue is in what races, what cultures, what peoples are never denigrated, are never the bad guys, are never deconstructed to oblivion.
I concur. Fantasy as a coping mechanism I get, although that can be dangerous.
But fantasy as public policy is killing us.
Intentional fantasy as a weapon I also get. That would come under a weapons programme not a mistake. But I accept it is happening.