Escape and Entertainment
Musings of the Troubled Mind
Escapism is a mental diversion from unpleasant or boring aspects of daily life, typically through activities involving imagination or entertainment.
Escapism isn’t fear, and neither is it wrong. I’d rather sit back and watch Haikyuu! once more, rather than to try and address the problems in society.
Entertainment, in the form of art, anime, comedy, TV series, or even academics have presented themselves to us in a much more attractive form.
Almost as if to help keep us at bay from stray thoughts and fears. Netflix seems rather inviting, with its new releases and wide range of TV series and anime. Some top tier piranha bait.
We have all escaped into limbo of the perpetual TV series binge or the book reading mania. Many have decided to completely isolate themselves from the outside world by blocking all channels of news and other media.
Even during a tough time such as this, the media treats news as a means of profit and publicity…
Our own tiny world is where we take refuge in times of need, and the thoughts that fill it up serves as a barrier from the outside world. We are afraid of knowing the crimes being committed around the world. The injustices being done, even in this dire situation, where the whole world is almost at a complete stop.
The current Covid-19 situation is frightening to many. Nobody knows if or when they will be affected by it, neither do they know when they can walk out without the fear of imminent death looming overhead.
The pandemic hasn’t just locked us up, it has also managed to force a constraint onto our psyche.
With some people, solitariness is an escape not from others but from themselves. For they see in the eyes of others, only a reflection of themselves.
~Eric Hoffer
Countries turn out to be vastly different from how they have portrayed themselves in movies, and the reality is quite hard to accept.
Countries that were predicted to be the worst affected by the pandemic have actually dealt with it better than the more ‘developed countries’. Countries that were considered to be safe are now raging battlefields for protestors.
Even during a tough time such as this, the media treats news as a means of profit and publicity, sometimes actively spreading misinformation to garner views and attention.
The soul is tired of waiting for something new to happen, amidst this mundane routine of waking up, sitting in a chair the whole day, then sleeping. The body hurts, the joints ache, and the bones creak.
Minds are tortured due to the economic implications of the lock-down. Families in woe and businesses in a low.
The new financial crisis has led to hundreds of thousands of jobs being lost across the world, and the stress is getting to the hearts of the people. We are alone with only our thought to give us company. The already neglected mental health now moves in a downward spiral of anxiety and more stress.
Students in college, worrying about their yet unrealized careers, and those in schools, worried about college… If only we could forget everything and live in a world of wonder and constant fun. If only we could escape from this monotony.
The foolish read to escape reality; the wise surrender to it.
~Tom Heehler
Our lives are in our hands, more so now than ever. The world is burning, in racism, in injustice, in needless cruelty and in rage. There’s no fantasy plot-armor, nor a superhero to save our butts. Escaping is not a solution, only a short respite from the harsh reality of the world, which we must embrace.
