'How I Tried To Escape Reality'

Why does one escape reality and what consequences do his or her actions hold? Evading real life can be a way to cope with the harshness of the world or can be an innocent activity for fun. Sometimes being excessively imaginative will force someone to be naturally less confrontational with his or her real problems. Therefore causing him or her to go through the motions every day, without specific goals or hopes of improving his or her life. Escaping reality can be harmless temporarily but can show negative effects when repeated. Fleeing from actuality is a way to avoid enhancing an individual’s life and confronting his or her problems head-on for his or her best interest for the future. In the article, “How I Tried To Escape Reality,” published

Kimble explains, “bingeing indicates excess, and overindulgence- in carbs, Hennessy, cocaine, sex, or episodes of Breaking Bad- is simply flight from the world’s unpalatable truths” (Kimble 5-6). He eludes sensibility by using certain addictive indulgences in excess in order to run away from the harsh realities he did not expect to face. At the end of the day, dilemmas will only grow greater and more complicated by running away from them. By slipping away from reality, individuals cope with their issues instead of facing their problems. In the short story, “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” written by James Thurber, he tells the story of a middle-aged man who lives an unhappy life and often daydreams to flee from the harshness of reality. When he was in the middle of a daydream while driving his wife startled him by shouting, “‘Not so fast! You’re driving too fast!’ said Mrs. Mitty. ‘What are you driving so fast for?’” (Thurber 1). Mrs. Mitty is an unpleasant aspect of Walter’s life and instead of discussing his concerns with her, he daydreams to leave her unpleasantness and his unhappiness when he is with her. He could easily speak to her to

In The Fader article, Kimble notes after avoiding actuality often and being reminded of his problems, “When my brain started feeling like a labyrinth of unfinished tasks” (Kimble 2). He runs from reality so often that he postpones the necessities of his daily life. Running away from the real world can leave one feeling lost and confused when life forces he or she to deal with the repercussions of his or her daily life. In the 2013 film, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, the main motif of the entire movie revolves around “the quintessence of life” (Stiller). The purpose or quintessence of life is “to see the world, things dangerous to come to, to see behind walls, draw closer, to find each other, and to feel. That is the purpose of life” (Stiller). When an individual runs away from the concreteness of the world he or she avoids the true purpose of life. Eventually, life will force one into it like a mother bird pushing a baby bird out of the nest to learn to