There are people out there who think that fiction reading in a frivolous waste of time, I used to more or less be one of those people. I was an idiot when it came to this specific matter, along with a few choice others. Since then I have educated myself and learned a great deal about fiction, story telling, and all the many complex processes that go into such things. I’ve also learned how they’re essential to human development and becoming the best that you can be.
I’ve written a few articles on this site about story telling and its importance about how it can change your life and is a skill that every man should master. It can not only change your life but the life of those around you, being also one of the influencer skills that everyone who wants to have influence and an impact on the world around them should learn. And this all from something that I thought at one type was close to “mere escapsim”.
So let’s dive into this and most importantly why this would matter to you and how it can better your life.
What Is Meant By “Mere Escapism”
The argument against reading fiction, especially genre fiction, is that it’s “mere escapism” like porn or weed it’s for people who can’t cope with the problems in their life and so need an escape to a fantasy world where everything’s easy and works out for them. Essentially reading fiction, again especially genre fiction, is for those that can’t hack or handle it in the real world. And need an escape from it.
This same argument has been made against comic books and video games as well. And we should see how much truth there is to this. Is it true that reading fiction, especially genres like say military science fiction or sword and sorcery are simple for people who aren’t heroes in their own life and want to feel what it’s like to have power for a little bit? Live vicariously through a protagonist?
While there may be some truth to this I don’t think this is at all while people read fiction and when you have a basic understanding of fiction you see that this isn’t the case for most people, most of the time. Sure there are certain books that cater to power fantasies. Both to male and female power fantasies, both to politically correct and incorrect fantasies, and a whole lot other.
But they make up a very small percentage of books, including, if not especially genre fiction.
The Truth About Fiction
Here’s the truth about fiction. These fictional worlds and loves that people submerge themselves in are the furthest thing from “escapism”. The fact of the matter is most fictional worlds are horrifying places. Where horrible things happen to good people doing their best, repeatedly, again and again. Essentially one would be escaping to a nightmare.
Now you may say “Well yeah but there’s still a thrill of seeing someone overcome those things.” and I agree with that. Who’d want to read about a beach vacation where everything goes well? That’d be boring. No, we want to “escape” to hellscapes either physically, emotionally, or mentally…or all three. We want to put ourselves in situations where horrible things are going to happen, again and again, and see how a protagonist and we would deal with them.
They are simulations, simulations of things going horribly wrong and how someone can deal with that. How we potentially will deal with that. Maybe we’ll never slay some demon in a dark lair to save a buxom princess but we will faces challenges, challenges with rewards we want. Fiction helps to prepare us for this. It makes up calmer and more sure of ourselves in day to day life.
Especially genre fiction as opposed to literary fiction which can range from boring to alright to completely useless.
The Verdict Is…
Maybe reading fiction is “escaping” but it’s not escaping where one thinks. For the most part, meaning 99%, it’s not about wish fulfillment, it’s about learning and understanding things emotionally. How to deal with challenge, pain, and set backs, especially set backs. About how life works and about emotional truth.
Reading fiction has many benefits to offer, far more than I’ve outlined here. I just think that anyone would call fiction, especially genre fiction, “mere escapism” hasn’t done much reading themselves or are going off stereotypes instead of reality. Regardless don’t fall into this trap yourself, understand that fiction has much to offer many different people, including you.
If anything I said here interests you I’d highly recommend you check out The Ultimate Alpha Collection which is a compilation of 16 of my books for the price of 5. It covers everything from being a man to making money to getting the right mindset to getting girls to fighting and more and is a resource no man should be without. Pick up your copy today!
-Charles Sledge
