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Assessment 1
Escapism is an attempt to avoid the self-awareness of the aversive beliefs, ideologies and the identities. It is an effort to pursue escape from the boring arduous daily life and the expectations associated with it. It can also be considered as a temporary relief from depression, sadness and social anxieties by taking up measurements for relief. These can be in any form, either changing one’s own character, hiding behind a different persona or escaping from a certain scenario and leading a new parallel life. There have been several literatures and stories based on their concept where individuals want to leave behind everything and lead a new life free of the constraints of relationships, commitments, mental disturbance and social pressures. Other times, it is just the idea of existence that feels like a burden perhaps due to tiredness, illness or any distress ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"ZxnaqCMQ","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Longeway)","plainCitation":"(Longeway)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":567,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/OnfrXiA2/items/KU693T36"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/OnfrXiA2/items/KU693T36"],"itemData":{"id":567,"type":"article-journal","title":"The Rationality of Escapism and Self-Deception","container-title":"Behavior and Philosophy","page":"1-20","volume":"18","issue":"2","source":"JSTOR","archive":"JSTOR","abstract":"Escapism is defined as the attempt to avoid awareness of aversive beliefs. Strategies, and a few examples, of escapism are discussed. It is argued that self-deception is one species of escapism and that entrenched escapism, escapism pursued with the intention of permanently avoiding any awareness of one's belief, no matter what happens, is theoretically irrational, except in the special case where it compensates for irrationality elsewhere, by guarding one from the formation of further irrational beliefs of more serious import than the belief one wishes to avoid. The model of rationality employed in this argument is then extended to practical rationality, and it is argued that entrenched escapism is pragmatically irrational as well, unless it compensates for other irrationalities elsewhere in a person, as, for instance, when a person must avoid certain facts to avoid succumbing irrationally to despair, or unless it compensates for the effects of an environment in which it is otherwise impossible for an optimally functioning person to survive emotionally. The results for entrenched escapism would apply to self-deception as well, since it aims (in all but very odd cases) at the permanent removal of the offending belief. The function of escapism, then, is to compensate for irrational patterns of belief formation, and to maintain effectiveness (for the sake of continuance of the species), insofar as that is possible, in situation in which a rational person would succumb to despair and suicide.","ISSN":"1053-8348","author":[{"family":"Longeway","given":"John L."}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["1990"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Longeway). People who have been under the societal constraints for a long time may also be prone to escape from their self-beings and adopt a life where they are not bound by any of these restrictions.
The normal activities of escapism on the extreme conditions may also be associated with the daily life activities. The entire idea of escapism is to remove oneself from the extreme rigors of life particularly into the digital life. The normal activities of a heathy life such as eating, sleeping, sexual activities, binge watching and exercises can become a portal to escape in cases of extreme struggle ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"XxFtFuQH","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Jones et al.)","plainCitation":"(Jones et al.)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":566,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/OnfrXiA2/items/2I62NNKY"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/OnfrXiA2/items/2I62NNKY"],"itemData":{"id":566,"type":"article-journal","title":"Mapping the extended frontiers of escapism: binge-watching and hyperdiegetic exploration","container-title":"Journal of Marketing Management","page":"497-508","volume":"34","issue":"5-6","author":[{"family":"Jones","given":"Scott"},{"family":"Cronin","given":"James"},{"family":"Piacentini","given":"Maria G."}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2018"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Jones et al.). However, in context to these practices, escapism is considered as a negative connotation that it is only adopted by individuals when they are unhappy with their lives, or are unwilling to keep up with the expectations and necessities of life. Escapism can also be in view of seeking or a journey of revelations. It can also be a means of distraction from normal activities that one endures with conformity. Literature has portrayed escapisms as a negative inference where authors have depicted the escapists as individuals who run away after being involved in any negative activity or wanted to enter into any imaginative world. There are other unnatural ways of escapism that include the psychological retreats and drugs that cause some kind of escapism from the realism.
In the novel ‘Revolutionary Road’, the author has mentioned certain themes that can be characterized as avenues for escapism. Generally, anything that seems to be as normal as it should be is the main cause of any hidden distress and we ae unable to find out the cause. For instance, marriage and selfhood is the baseline where any disappointing relationship can turn into a life destroying incident. The authenticity of the relationship depends on the how the spouses reflect on each other and how much are they willing to understand each other. The disappointments of the sense of self may also make an individual doubt about the validation of love, respect and appreciation of the identity from the other half. People also start pretending to like an individual based on the perceptions and upon the realization of the reality, they are unable to accept it which leads them to look for ways that can ensure them an escape from it. Majority of the literature has depicted marriage as a cynical and pessimistic chapter of life, however, the even in the marriages that are healthy and do not lead into the destruction of individual’s identity, the compromises and expectations that are needed to keep up the relationship are extremely painful and full of disappointments ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"VKnpq2Nl","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Reid et al.)","plainCitation":"(Reid et al.)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":570,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/OnfrXiA2/items/ZZ6JKCP6"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/OnfrXiA2/items/ZZ6JKCP6"],"itemData":{"id":570,"type":"article-journal","title":"Exploring facets of personality and escapism in pathological gamblers","container-title":"Journal of social work practice in the addictions","page":"60-74","volume":"11","issue":"1","author":[{"family":"Reid","given":"Rory C."},{"family":"Li","given":"Desiree S."},{"family":"Lopez","given":"Jean"},{"family":"Collard","given":"Michael"},{"family":"Parhami","given":"Iman"},{"family":"Karim","given":"Reef"},{"family":"Fong","given":"Timothy"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2011"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Reid et al.). So people like me for whom commitments are a huge deal, run away from the bonding or dreaded to get ourselves involved in any such relationship.
Additionally, the stigmatization with the particular gender roles also stroke the happiness of individuals for both males and females. The stresses and stereotypes of maintain the masculinity inculcate several insecurities in men that prime to empty posturing, manipulation and self-denial. Such men escape their own identities and so not live the lives that they want to live, rather they impart cruelties upon women in order to bolster their own self-esteem. In a society where the portrayal of male roles is such a tragedy, the gender expectations for women are an extreme. While women refuse to fit onto the stereotypical roles that are meant to suppress and control women. However, there are women who fulfil their roles exclusively and meet the society’s demands, others feel it hard and do not want to ruin their lives by living by a code defined by others. Thus, I feel men today escape from their own natural selves and pretend to live as ‘real men’ under the societal pressure. Similarly, women like me try hard to be the cheerful, nurturing and attractive sex objects that can be well accepted by the society. We have been running away from our very own selves and living in disguise and will continue to do so until the society is ready to accept each individual as is.
The social norms conform the individuals to subject to its obligations in becoming the perfect social beings. The profession of psychology was meant to pressure people into accepting the societal expectations and cope with it while stifling their individual desires. The ability to overcome mental illness, depression and social anxieties in this conformist society is sadly only open for those who can be contended with a life that society approves of. The fear of being stigmatized as being different from the rest of people in the society basically stops people especially women to lead their lives as they wish to. It is a tragic state of events as it is entirely individuals’ freedom to accept or reject the socially approved ideal. It is up to them to being happy in their own self or get an escape and become someone they are not in order to be accepted by the society. But sadly, majority of us are bound by so many restrictions based on so many levels. We are confined to accept the role and responsibilities and identities that are defined for us.
Another kind of imaginary and unrealistic escape from being oneself being put in someone else’s mind for some time. Like in the comedy drama ‘Being John Malkovich’, the character Craig has certain desires and he idealizes a vicarious experience, however, when he was unable to get his way, he becomes revengeful and is immersed in his resentment against the world around him ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"ADKMPi13","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Tobias)","plainCitation":"(Tobias)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":568,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/OnfrXiA2/items/EPSECL27"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/OnfrXiA2/items/EPSECL27"],"itemData":{"id":568,"type":"article-newspaper","title":"Being John Malkovich at 20: why the surrealist comedy demands a rewatch","container-title":"The Guardian","section":"Film","source":"www.theguardian.com","abstract":"One of the most fascinatingly strange and unpredictable films of 1999 still carries with it more pleasures to be discovered","URL":"https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/oct/29/being-john-malkovich-charlie-kaufman-review","ISSN":"0261-3077","title-short":"Being John Malkovich at 20","language":"en-GB","author":[{"family":"Tobias","given":"Scott"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2019",10,29]]},"accessed":{"date-parts":[["2019",11,4]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Tobias). Just like him, people mistakenly construct other people around them as their obstacles to having god-like power. They deceive themselves with their own misunderstanding of the nature of the force. In this life full of monotony and hollowness, one wishes for a gateway that can make the impossible of satisfying one’s wishes of escapism and privileged identities. It is a radical and absurd idea but discovering such a body portal to escape into someone else’s mind can offer impossible powers. One should be careful of what one wishes for since the impossible powers can only lead to further alienation and resentment against the contingent powers of the world. The notion of temporarily escaping through the portal into another world of ideas, desires and resentments is such a satirical transcendent ideal. Things that appear to be so normal and glamourous, might not be as they seem. As Craig realizes that the fame and stardom are basically temporal and momentary when he enters the mind of John Malkovich. He explores the torments, humiliation and forfeiting of his body.
I believe this might be another scam as entering into someone else’s mind can be more painful. It will be a mysterious journey as one does not know what one might be going through in his life. This idea scares me to unravel the secrets of others that they have been hiding form the world. I would not even want to enter into the mind of the happiest person in life. I compare it with myself and realize that there is so much the world does not know of about me. I smile, I laugh and I spend a happy day with my family, I keep up appearances which are basically my way of escaping from eh dreadful realities of life. I have been running away from accepting it as is because of the societal pressures and the conventional role that I am meaning to represent. I am not sure if I will be able ever allow or like someone entering into my mind. Similarly, I am scared and not yet ready to take more of it. One should wish for what they desire for and I do not desire to escape into someone else’s mind. I believe my way of escapism has been well suitable for me and I have accepted it until I am ready to shed off the disguise and be who I am.
Works Cited
ADDIN ZOTERO_BIBL {"uncited":[],"omitted":[],"custom":[]} CSL_BIBLIOGRAPHY Jones, Scott, et al. “Mapping the Extended Frontiers of Escapism: Binge-Watching and Hyperdiegetic Exploration.” Journal of Marketing Management, vol. 34, no. 5–6, 2018, pp. 497–508.
Longeway, John L. “The Rationality of Escapism and Self-Deception.” Behavior and Philosophy, vol. 18, no. 2, 1990, pp. 1–20. JSTOR.
Reid, Rory C., et al. “Exploring Facets of Personality and Escapism in Pathological Gamblers.” Journal of Social Work Practice in the Addictions, vol. 11, no. 1, 2011, pp. 60–74.
Tobias, Scott. “Being John Malkovich at 20: Why the Surrealist Comedy Demands a Rewatch.” The Guardian, 29 Oct. 2019. www.theguardian.com, https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/oct/29/being-john-malkovich-charlie-kaufman-review.
