Statements like ‘grow up’ or ‘see the reality’ or ‘step out of your imaginary world’ are clear indication to the point, that there exists a separate world, which is termed as fantasy. Whether its real or not is the topic of discussion, and if it is real, is it really that different from the world of reality we live in? Or is it perhaps the same thing with a different name?
Some people might put forward a very simple solution, there isn’t any difference. Some would start the topic of creativity and imagination, some on the other hand will emphasize on mind sets and broad approach, some will straight forward say, “we don’t care, because we live” and some like me myself will emphasis on the part that Reality and Fantasy are two sides of the same coin. Now that is a very simple and vague statement on this topic, but before getting to the precise difference, let us first know what we are diving into.
Reality and Fantasy are basically the styles of living. Hence why, it exists in the same plane of dimension. Telling someone to stop their fantasies is a rather wrong approach. Because a fantasy is just as real as the reality, as one’s reality is his fantasy. These words are more than just puns on word play. In simple words, the ‘line’ that we are talking about, that differentiates the same thing is something we know very well about. “Possibilities and limits.” Yes, that is the line between Reality and fantasy in the true logical sense. But since this is basically me spewing my logic, and me is no one to the world, one can’t just take me for my word, so let me explain it a bit more, hopefully it will be more convincing that way.
Let us take the example of a rich boy. This boy loves racing in his super cars. He is good at it too, he even won couple of those awards. It’s his passion, but is he the best driver of the world? No he is not, something that is his passion, his mind and heart loves it to the extent, that it does not like someone else being better than him at his field of interest. But obviously he is a mature person, he knows how life is and not everything comes to be true. That is why, not being the best at what he loves becomes a fantasy. Something that he wants, but something he will not pursue consciously. Yes, unconsciously he might continue to strive, but knowing his ‘place’, ‘limits’ and his ‘possibilities’ he has drawn a clear line to what is his reality and his fantasy. Now let us move towards the example of an another boy. This boy, through hard work, luck, passion, lessons and a lot more, reached a stage in life where he is given the title, the best racer in the world. Something that was once his fantasy was now his reality. Stop and think dear reader. Did you notice, fantasies doo become reality, and I won’t explain but the same is possible for the vice versa to happen. And since one thing can become another, they were of the same nature to begin with. It is true that there exists a line between the two, but the two are in short still the same, it’s more like water and ice. They are both H2O but, still exists to us in different forms and despite being the same are of a bit different nature.
Before summarizing, let me add one more important aspect to this picture. “Wishes.” Equally important as limits and possibilities, a person’s wish might also be the shaping line for his reality and fantasy. It varies for person to person so is like the secondary line but still important. A person wishing something might be doing so for two things majorly, to want something, or to protect something. That is, to want a change in reality or to wish for no change to happen. This depends on the life the person is living. People often confuse fantasy with stuff that is physically or scientifically not possible, like, someone saying they want to fly like superman, would be a fantasy to the general public, but a poor guy begging on the roads, looking at rich people in their cars, to him that could be a fantasy too. Me and you and many others probably have cars of their own, so this is a reality to us. But not to everyone. My point here being, my reality could be someone’s fantasy, and likewise, my fantasy, or wish or something that does not exists for me, (after all that’s what fantasy is) could be someone’s reality.
Now to summarize, the line between both is merely, what’s possible, is it really possible? And why do I even want it to be possible in the first place. Fantasy is not born from nothingness. It always has a mother, you can say. Something we saw, something we could relate, something we used as a base to think of something else. And that something becomes our wish, which is ruled out under the premises of limits of the physical world and the possibilities of one’s own circumstances. And the product decides, if it becomes a fantasy, or a reality. Like a baby born would one day be an adult, a fantasy born might someday be a reality, might be not. Luck has a hand here as well, but keeping luck aside, it is clear, that we see reality and fantasy separately for who we are. And who are we, is the question, if answered will lead to answering all other queries in this world we find in relation to ourselves.
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