Reality > Illusions ?

I definitely agree with Alyssa’s point that having an escape can bring you happiness. However, after reading The Man In The High Castle and Cat’s Cradle, I think that having an escape from reality creates a form of destruction rather than happiness. At some point, the escape stops being temporary for that person and becomes the actual reality, which can be dangerous. For example, in The Man In The High Castle, the characters consistently consult the I Ching for advice. On the surface, the I Ching provides some kind of relief and joy because they don’t have to worry about particular situations; they are able to behave accordingly to what the I Ching tells them. But after some point they become so reliant on it, that they are unable to view reality. As a result, when the Frank, Juliana, and Tagomi find out they’ve been living a false reality, their personal realities are destroyed because what they thought existed was never there. Trapped within the illusions from the I Ching, the characters are unable to acknowledge their false reality.

In Cat’s Cradle, the citizens of San Lorenzo use the religion Bokononism to escape their poverty stricken lives. However, they emerge themselves within the religion so much that they are unable to think and behave for themselves without the guidance from Bokononism; their reality is Bokononism and the lies it provides. After ice-nine has destroyed the world, the remaining survivors immediately look to Bokonon for counsel on how to continue with their lives. The citizens comply with Bokonon’s advice by killing themselves. This inability to distinguish reality from Bokononism resulted in the demise of the people.

From reading The Man In The High Castle and Cat's Cradle, we should acknowledge that escape from reality causes more harm than good. It may be possible that reality is more pleasant than the illusions we create.