Lately, there has been a popular discussion surrounding the positive impacts of being “delusional” and sometimes I wonder: could this possibly be true? Being “delusional” has been normalized into something so ordinary, and every now and again, I contemplate if it truly should be.
Webster defines delusion as follows, “something that is believed to be true or real but that is actually false or unreal.” At some point in time, I feel like all of us have been delusional to at least a certain extent, but when you start to wholeheartedly believe a false reality, that is when things seem to go wrong.Â
Delusions can be useful, but they can also hurt you in ways that you can’t imagine, especially when it comes to relationships with other people. Whether it’s overthinking about a text back you haven’t received, wondering if someone has feelings for you, or wanting to be in matching pjs with someone you’ve just met, these are all forms of delusions that yes, even I have fallen victim to. As humans, it’s normal for us to have certain dreams and wishes, but when we dig too deep into them, the expectations that we set for certain individuals end up leaving us brokenhearted when not met.
I believe that social media is much to blame for this matter, as other people’s relationships and encounters are shown, leaving us to compare our lives and romanticize what we want with the first person available. Delusions make us escape reality, dreaming of many fantasies about our future, but when that person we want or the relationship we yearn for doesn’t work out, that is when we snap back to reality with our dreams crushed (once again).
Besides getting hurt, being delusional can also be beneficial- especially when it comes to goals that we set for ourselves. I would like to pursue a career in dermatology or psychiatry, and although I’m very far from that goal, I believe in myself and believe that I can attain that in my future. Every successful person in life has once dreamed about getting to the level that they’re at; and to accomplish that, you must wholeheartedly believe in yourself because if not you, who will? Being delusional takes away our fears, and somehow turns things that we feel we could never grasp into our reality.
One might say that I’m shooting for the stars, but who knows? Maybe I am, maybe I’m not… I guess we’ll have to wait and see.Â