Why are you escaping reality?
“Escapism isn’t good or bad in itself. What is important is what you are escaping from, and where you are escaping to”
-Terry Pratchett
As this quote states, escapism isn’t good or bad in itself. It’s the norm of our society today. An opportunity to let go of the world you find yourself in. Letting go and entering another world, a world of different rules and wonder. A place to escape to when your regular life feels empty. This is all well and good, but when it takes over, what are you living for?
If you have seen the “Ready Player One”- movie, you know how far this can go. In that world, every single person on the planet dives into a VR reality all day every day. Having a miserable existence outside of the virtual world, and only making it through life because of this game. If your life turns out like this, and you have no real value in you normal life, what is the point of living?
In that world, as in this, society creates endless escapes. Countless ways for you to lose yourself in something that gives you nothing in return. Everything is designed to grab your attention and hold on tight, keeping you from seeing what truly is important to you. Covering your eyes and ears and keeping you occupied with something that doesn’t matter. Something that keeps you from manifesting your dreams.
As they figure out in the movie I was talking about, it’s important to spend time in the “real” world. Making connections, going through challenges and triumpfs. Physical interactions with life is where you truly grow and learn as a soul. Not hiding behind a screen and having that safety – keeping life at an arms lenght. Yes, it’s safe and comfortable, but this is not where growth and fulfillment happen.
You can indeed acquire valuable skills from diving deep into social media, books, games, jobs, hobbies, projects, and so on – but when it turns into an escape from your own life or circumstances, it’s not healthy. This means running away from responsibilities, emotions, or tough scenarios. Staying away from difficulties and seeking comfort instead of learning the lessons such difficulties bring.
In my mind, creating your own meaning and purpose in life is more important than choosing not to deal with it. Not dealing with it will create an emptiness inside. For instance, when you finish a TV show, play through a game, finish scrolling for an hour, comparing yourself to others, everything may seem meaningless. Something has ended, and something else needs to take its place to fill the emptiness.
If you give your life a deep meaning, create a purpose for yourself, life will not feel so empty. Of course this feeling may arise from time to time, and then you can ask yourself why you are feeling this way? Focus on the good things in your life, find what you are grateful for, tune in to the present moment where everything is beatiful.
What do you seek in your life? What do you wish to experience? What would bring you joy and exhilaration? Instead of seeking instant gratification and dopamine, find the answer to these questions and take the steps to create it. Level up in your own life and grind some experience points.
Life can bring you down, and that is a part of the journey. You are not alone. Everyone has something painful that they want to escape from. Creating an escape so they don’t have to face difficulties. I find myself doing the same thing. The important aspect is to recognize it and find a way to deal with it.
So, why are you escaping your reality? Only you know the answer to that. And the only way to figure it out is to be honest with yourself and dig into the dark painful shit.
I find myself battling these escapes too. Feeling that it’s hard to find a place for me in a world that wants to keep me from growing. A world that makes me want something I don’t need, a world that feeds on fear and insecurity, a world where I constantly wonder if what I’m doing is right. This is not a world I want to live in, and therefore I strive to create the world I desire. When dragged off course, I find my way back. Again, stating for myself what I choose to live for, and what I want to create. Finding my center, syncing my outer world with my inner world.
This can be a struggle, and it can be tiresome. You might find yourself escaping, but you will always find your way back. When the current drags you down, you fight to get yourself back up, because you want to live. You want your dreams to come true, and you are willing to fight for it.
