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Forget about what you learned from the movies, novels and TV shows
Monday, 31 October 2005
We live in a world of fictions. Almost every day we are exposed to stories that simply aren't true - in the form of movies, novels and TV shows. For many people - especially after they've left formal education - exposure to such sources is much more common than exposure to nonfiction. This can fill the head with strange ideas.
Our ideas of many parts of life can be formed by this exposure. We learn things about love, money, violence, relationships and power from fiction. We learn that with enough persistence, the boy always gets the girl, being rude is a good way to look cool, violence is a guaranteed was to become powerful, and right always triumphs against the odds.
We learn about politics, racism, the situation in far away countries, legal battles, policing, technology and the human situation.
These are all nice ways to tell a story - but are they true?
Usually not.
The thing to understand about most movies, novels and TV shows are that their number one purpose is to entertain. Education, if present at all, is a far lower priority.
Writers of these products may well know less about relationships, money and power than you. What they do know is how to tell a good story. If they're faced with a choice between accurately reflecting reality or producing a more interesting tale, they'll go for the latter every time. And rightly so.
When it comes to understanding life and the true nature of reality, such fantasy worlds are virtually useless. Certainly there is some wisdom to be found - nobody would say Shakespeare doesn't contain deep truths - but such wisdom is thin on the ground.
You will learn much more about how the world really works by observing it yourself, thinking carefully about the evidence before you, and exposing yourself to sources of nonfiction such as books and documentaries. Even these can be filled with untruths, but they are likely a better reflection of reality than is found in a TV drama series.
Fantasy worlds are a great way to pass the time, but they're a terrible way to learn about life. Don't let them poison your mind with false ideas. Enjoy them for the entertainment they are, but realize that they're nothing more than that.
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