When a man chooses an illusion which lends him hope, is this not preferable to the reality which leads him to despair? Choosing to abandon reality and live in an idealistic, but illusionary world like that of Don Quixote, a character from Dale Wasserman's Man of La Mancha, may seem at first like a choice that few would make. However, escaping despair by entering into a fantasy is one of the ways people have dealt with hardship throughout history. By accepting illusion, hope for the future can be summoned even during the most difficult situations. Few could ever allow themselves to believe as much Don Quixote did, but many use this escape mechanism in smaller ways during daily life.
By ignoring hunger, war, human rights issues, and other problems in the unseen corners of the world, we are blocking out reality and allowing ourselves to buy into a fantasy. Glorification of famous actors, sports stars, and models divert our attention from more depressing issues, towards dreams of beauty, fame and wealth. One never see movies about starving African children or slave laborers in Asia; instead they see movies about young, beautiful men and women getting together. Our whole culture has adopted a blindfold of ignorance that protects us from the harsh reality of the world. As American influence spreads across the globe, people of all different walks of life have began to find hope within the American dreamland. The same famous musicians and movie stars are idolized throughout the world. So many people allow the media to paint their portrait of reality, even though it clearly leaves much out of the picture.
A mirage is a false vision of an oasis in the dessert, created in equal parts by atmospheric reflections and human spirit. To a person stranded in the dessert, trapped in despair, the vision inspires great hope and the strength to push on. Unfortunately, these illusions often lead to nothing more than prolonged agony, but it proves the amazing ability the human mind has to ignore reality and produce an outcome far more appealing.
