“Sometimes we need fantasy to survive the darkness of this cruel and ruthless age.”
Fairy tales are wonder tales, dreamlike stories that feed our curiosity and address our most deep-seated wishes and fears. Fairy tales endure because they are, at their most basic, the stories of our lives in their most stripped down form. They are stories of love and loss, desire and death, riches and ruin. They are the unadorned stories of what drive us, without the civilizing details of technology and manners. They teach us how to survive in this wily and wicked world. They are a shortcut to a common understanding of the way the world works.
Fairy tales help us understand that the values of once upon a time aren’t so different from our values now. We still yearn for love, for fiscal comfort, for a better life for ourselves and our children. We want to overcome the ogres, move to better pastures, be cared for as best we can. It's not just children who need fairy tales, or even just children who love them; adults can and should still listen to fairy tales.
Just look at the world and your surroundings! How the peaceful face of light is closing in. The darkness that replaces light has surrounded us all. How many times a day do you hear about death, murder, fighting, and bad news? When you watch the news, browse online newspapers, or social media, do you always read uplifting news that boosts your energy? Just think, we are immersed in poison from head to toe. We can't escape, we can't defend ourselves, we are surrounded by monsters everywhere. The darkness you seek light in pulls you in like a swamp. If you struggle, you will suffer even more. The people of the world are exhausted. Spiritually, physically, mentally... we seem to disappear.
Many of us need to remember our individual and social values again. We need to remember that we are human, that we have moral values. We need to understand that there are good people as well as bad, and that goodness is the most powerful value. Fairy tales are simple and therefore clearly understandable. There are no long, chaotic paragraphs, no word games that play with your perceptions. Fairy tales don't drag you into the arms of darkness, drag you into the abyss of lies, or exploit your conscience. Fairy tales remind you of your humanity, the importance of goodness, cultural values, and sincerity. If you think only children read fairy tales, you're sorely mistaken. In this age of deep darkness, fairy tales are a necessity for all ages. Because we've forgotten. We've been made to forget. Fairy tales are the easiest tools for remembering our true selves.
Fairy tales are the safe ports. Break your ego and refuse to be the mindless creatures they want you to be. If you want the simplest way to start, try reading fairy tales.
