I love fiction. One of the reasons I love fiction is because it is often full of truth that we could not fully understand if we did not hear it in the form of a story. Today I am going to talk about one such truth from one of the greatest movies of our lifetime: Inception.
If you have not seen Inception yet, I highly recommend it. From a storytelling perspective, it is the most original film I have seen in years. I want to write a full review and give my theories, but I don’t want to spoil the movie for those who have not seen it. There is, however, a theme in the movie I want to talk about.
The story is all about people who “share dreams.” In the dream state, they are able to steal information from important people and use it to their own ends. Some people who enter the dream state too much, however, begin to have difficulty determining what is real and what is in the dream world. Interestingly, the movie suggests that reality is what we make it.
This is a really interesting point, and I think it can be taken two ways: one negative, and one positive. First the negative- Relativism has become popularized in today’s world. If you have never heard of relativism, it is essentially the belief that, “what is right for you is right for you, and what is right for me is right for me.” In other words, you can believe whatever you want and it will be true! While this belief sounds great and fun, it is totally bogus. If you need proof, just punch someone in the face. When they get mad at you, explain to them that it was “right for me” to hit you in the face. You won’t get very far in life this way.
On the positive side, however, there is a lot of truth to saying reality is what we make it. I have learned (and will continue to learn) over the years that your attitude impacts how you experience the world. We can choose to be happy about something, or choose to be angry and upset about the exact same occurrence. For instance, when a trial comes in your life, do you choose to become bitter? Or do you choose to see it as a learning experience and endure through it?
Abraham Lincoln (is it just me, or does anyone else think I am being overly dramatic by quoting him?) once said, “People are about as happy as they make their minds up to be.” And I think he is right. Our reality can be whatever we want, and it is my hope that I will always choose to perceive reality in light of the Gospel and God’s work in my life. It is only by doing so that life can truly be appreciated, that I can choose to rejoice amidst trials and suffering, and that I can make a lasting and positive impact on the world.
What do you think? Is your reality what you make it?
