The definition of reality is, “the world or the state of things as they actually exist.”
Defining the meaning of the word is easy. To define the reality of our existence is much more difficult.
Most people believe that reality it something to be accepted. I do not believe this is true. The reality of life is that, when you live by realities limits, you do not get very far. It is only when we reject realities strains that we can make possible what is temporarily fictional.
Reality and fiction have always been viewed as opposites. They are viewed like synonyms for right and wrong. True and false. Real or fake. What fiction really is, is the challenger of reality. Fiction is a list of possibilities that reality denies. For something to be a part of reality it has to be a fact. Facts are laid out plainly and bluntly. There is no room inside the fact for question or for doubt. This means that there can only be a handful of facts in this world. Anything that cannot be proven, without a doubt, can, therefore, not be factual.
Most commonly it is believed that reality is the more powerful of the two because reality is something we are bound to. The truth is, reality is fragile. Deny reality, and it breaks. The reality of things as they are is always debatable because there are more than 7 billion different realities in this world. Just because one man says that an apple is the greatest fruit does not mean that another man’s taste buds will agree.
The definition of fiction is “a fabrication as opposed to fact.” Fiction has always been defined as the invention of a lie. I would much rather say that fiction is the invention of a possibility. Fiction happens within realities loopholes. Fiction is a question. Fiction is undecided. Fiction is an opportunity. You cannot argue with fiction because fiction cannot be false. Fictional things can neither be wrong nor right because fictional things are not a statement, fiction is the vision of one individual. Ralph Waldo Emerson says that “Fiction reveals truths that reality obscures.” Reality tells us what is. Fiction tells us what could be.
The human race is a society of dreamers. Constantly we aspire new fictional goals. New dreams of a better reality come with each passing generation. This means that reality is in constant motion. Today's fiction will be tomorrow’s reality. William C. Samples says that, “Without the dreamers who write science fiction and other imaginary material we’d still be sitting in caves.” The human race is where it is today because, at some point, we rejected reality, and dreamed of a greater future.
It’s been said that imagination and fiction make up more than 3/4’s of a person’s life. Goals, hopes and dreams are 3 out of 4 in the war against reality. Any goal you set for yourself, any dream you aspire, it all begins as fictional. Fiction will always be more powerful than any of this worlds realities because fiction tells us what could be instead of constantly reminding us what already is. The dreamer will always get further than the realist, because the realist only sees what is. The world is ruled by dreamers, and that is this World’s most beautiful reality of all.
I would much rather be a part of fictional possibilities than bound to realistic facts. Reality is just a surface to build on. The ground on which we gain momentum so that we can take flight. It is fiction that gives us wings.
I will place a fact on this. Reality can not exist without fiction.
J. R. R Tolkien said that, “A single dream is more powerful than a thousand realities.” We continue to make real our fictional possibilities. We are a society of dreamers. A nation of visionaries.
Try and prove me wrong.
Photo Credit to Heinrich Nikel Photography