A bit of a weird title isn’t it? I mean after all I spend so much of my time writing about one should have their feet firmly planted in reality. About how you need to see the world as it is and not as how you’d like it to be. About how truth while harsh and often unpleasant is the thing that truly sets you free. And yet here I am seemingly to tell you the exact opposite.
Here I am telling you to get lost in a fairy tale, to get lost in something that is patently not true (which is after all the meaning of fiction) I’m telling you to disconnect from the real world and delve into something that you know going in is essentially lies. So why the supposed disconnect? Why am I telling you to do this thing that seems to run so counter to everything else I’ve spent so much time spelling out?
Well a couple of different reasons. Firstly to call fiction “lies” I don’t think is the most accurate term. Not to split hairs or sound like those that wish to subvert the cosmic/primal order (religions call them demons) but there is a difference between a lie and something that is not true. Fiction stories are technically not true but the ones that are done well actually reflect a truth deeper than mere reality.
Let me explain.
The True Made Up World Of Fiction
Good stories, the ones that hit you on a deep level. The move and inspire you (and not in some cheesy Oprah’s book of the month club but in actuality) reflect truths that are timeless and sometimes hard to grasp in the real world. Getting lost in a good story is not running away from reality if anything it’s seeing deeper into reality than most ever will. It’s getting a different and deeper look.
It’s also working your emotional muscles. When you read a good story (good is an important term here and one we’ll get to in a second, just because something is published or popular does not mean it’s good.) you’re going on an emotional journey that’s going to build your emotional muscles whether you realize it or not. When you’re standing there with the hero who’s suffered great loss and overcome many hardships only to face a challenge that’s greater than anything before you’re building the muscles to do the same thing yourself.
You’re readying your mind and heart to “go the distance” so to speak. All the while you’re recharging and gaining perspective on your problems in the “real” world. So you see getting lost in a good story serves many different functions. Gives you a “release” (not an unhealthy one though) from your daily stresses and problems, allows you to get perspective on them, all the while building your emotional muscles so that you can deal with whatever life has to offer.
Great, But What Constitutes A Good Story?
Now with all of that being said what constitutes a great story? Does one that is published mean that it’s great? No, not by a long shot unfortunately. Not to say being published by a mainstream publisher doesn’t mean anything but it does not mean that a story is good, at least in the sense I mean (or any sense in some cases). What about if a story is popular, does that mean that it’s good? Again not so much.
Popularity does not correlate with quality. Though obviously there can be overlap between these categories. There certainly are stories that are popular, published, and good but that doesn’t mean that they’re one and the same. I’ve recently read some popular best sellers by mainstream publishers that are crap and not just in construction of the writing. Good stories reflect something greater and bring you closer to those things that are “good”.
I don’t mean good in the “moral” sense but in the primal/cosmic sense. For example the stories of Beowulf and Achilles both give men warnings as well as inspire them to become more, to greater and higher action. Likewise the modern myths of Conan the Barbarian, Tarzan, or even The Lord of the Rings points to things beyond and greater. They take you to higher planes and inspire greater thought and action.
Find A Good Book, You Won’t Regret It
Mainstream publishers lean more and more towards what is politically correct rather than what is good and this is unfortunate. Luckily with self-publishing there are still those who write good stories and can still reach an audience. I do my best to curate good fiction here in different places and would recommend that you check them out for a good start. And then look on your own. Doesn’t matter the genre what matters is the story.
If you have a particular fiction book or series that stood out to you and that you’d want every man to read then feel free to share it in the comments. Always enjoy hearing fiction recommendations and checking out different books for myself. Especially considering how crappy mainstream recommendations can end up being. So go and get lost in a good story for yourself and for your masculine development.
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
