10/18 Quick Write

Illusions in life can be intentional or unintentional. For many, illusions are a coping mechanism, a way to replace bad memories with alternate realities. It can be harmless to live with a bit of ignorance in the form of illusions if it helps make painful memories less painful, blocking the reality from the forefront of the brain. However, if one lives with too many illusions, blurring the line between reality and abstract it can be dangerous. For instance, if someone acts out in a way that is harmful, whether that be emotionally or physically, to another person, but then masks that memory with an illusion that they acted out in self defense, there will be an issue. On the opposite end, if someone has a lot of embarrassment about a memory, for instance tripping in front of a group of people, and they create the illusion that the bystanders did not see the trip, despite knowing they did, the illusion is harmless. Daydreaming can be a pleasant activity to pass some free minutes in the day, but if someone begins to confuse daydreams for reality, they may live a painful life, constantly divided between what is real and what he or she perceives as real. Illusions are best when they do not provoke actions, changing reality. If one has an illusion that he or she keeps private, never letting it escape the safety of his or her head, that illusion is much less dangerous than one that drives it's believer to take action, whether that be kissing a person who he or she has had a false illusion that this stranger is in love with him or her, or rioting for a cause that's details are mixed around into mere illusions.