Escapism

Escapism: Illusion, Love, and the Search for Truth

Introduction – The Question That Stopped Me

Today, while reading Aldous Huxley’s essays, I paused at a simple but dangerous question: “What is your escapism?”

It is a question that holds the weight of centuries, because every human, whether he admits it or not, is always running—from pain, from duty, from truth, from himself. Escapism is that secret doorway we all keep in our minds, where we hide when reality becomes unbearable. Some escape into music, some into games, some into love, and some into silence.

But the real puzzle is this—is escapism a weakness, or is it a human necessity?

What is Escapism?

Escapism is the art of hiding. It is a soft prison where chains feel like silk. It is not about leaving the world physically, but mentally stepping into another world that feels safer, warmer, lighter. A man in his office scrolling Instagram is escaping. A child imagining superheroes instead of homework is escaping. A lover drowning in the memory of someone’s smile is escaping.

Escapism is not new; it is as old as mankind itself. From the first storyteller around a fire, to the modern man binge-watching Netflix, the human desire to escape reality is constant. Because reality is heavy. Duty is sharp. Truth is merciless.

Arjuna on the Battlefield – Escaping Duty

In the Bhagavad Gita, the great warrior Arjuna stands on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. The war is about to begin, the conch shells have been blown, and he sees his family, his teachers, his friends on the opposite side. Fear rises in him. His bow slips from his hand. His voice trembles. He says to Krishna, “I do not want to fight. I want to escape.”

Here lies one of the oldest lessons on escapism. Arjuna wanted to run from duty, to hide in the arms of non-action. But Krishna whispers the truth: running away will not free you, only facing reality will. Escapism may give you comfort for a moment, but truth alone gives liberation.

Gautam Buddha – Escaping Pleasure to Face Truth

If Arjuna tried to escape duty, Buddha escaped pleasure. He had everything—luxury, palace, music, wives, gold—but he still felt empty. He walked away from the palace, not to run from truth but to find it. His escapism was not into distraction, but into silence, meditation, and inner search.

This tells us escapism can be of two types:

Cowardly escapism – where we hide from problems in temporary pleasures.

Courageous escapism – where we leave illusions behind to search for higher truth.

The Modern Rat Race – Escaping Ourselves

Today, we run endlessly in what we call the rat race. We wake up, scroll, work, consume, compete, sleep, repeat. We chase money, likes, fame, love, status. And yet, every night, our heart whispers—we are still empty. So we open Netflix, games, Instagram reels, relationships we don’t even feel. This is not life, this is escape dressed as progress.

Society celebrates the race, but ignores the emptiness. Escapism is now not a choice, but a culture.

Personal Touch – Escaping Into Her Eyes

For me, escapism is not alcohol, not drugs, not wealth. My escape is far more dangerous—her eyes.

When the world screams and duties feel unbearable, I hide in her gaze. Her silence is my music, her smile my religion, her absence my addiction. I know it is an illusion, but illusions sometimes feel more real than truth.

Love is the sweetest form of escapism. It does not destroy you immediately, it consumes you slowly, gently, beautifully. Her eyes are not just eyes; they are a door to another world where I am free from pain, from society, from myself. But am I escaping reality, or am I creating a new one?

Escapism vs. Maya – The Illusion of Life

In the Gita, Krishna says the world itself is Maya—an illusion. If the whole world is already an escape, then what does it mean to escape from escapism? If love is illusion, money is illusion, power is illusion—then maybe our choice of escape defines us.

I do not run from my duty like Arjuna, nor do I renounce like Buddha. I escape in small moments—music, dreams of wealth, and above all, love. Maybe this is my Maya, but it is also my mirror.

My Philosophy – Escapism as a Mirror

Escapism is not an enemy; it is a teacher. It shows us what we truly crave. The drunkard’s bottle reveals his thirst for forgetting. The gamer’s world reveals his hunger for victory. The lover’s dream reveals his desire for eternity.

My escapism reveals my longing for peace, for love, for stillness. Escapism is not about running away—it is about understanding what your soul is crying for.

Conclusion – What Is Your Escapism?

At the end, escapism is not something to be judged, but to be understood. Some escape from truth, some escape into truth. The choice is ours.

So, when my friend asks again, “What is your escapism?” I will say:

My escape is not in forgetting, but in remembering—the warmth of love, the silence of self, and the hope that truth, no matter how painful, will set me free.

So I ask you, dear reader: what is your escapism?

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