The Dangers of Escapism

If asked to contemplate a world without art – no music, literature, film, theatre, painting, sculpture or poetry – most would surely shudder at the thought. A metaphorical shudder, at least. Yet, while virtually all agree that art is valuable, the matter of why it is so valuable is more divisive. Among common thought, there seems to be two prevailing answers, both somewhat in opposition to each other. First, that art is valuable because it offers us an escape from reality. Second, that art is valuable because it forces a confrontation with reality.

This distinction not only manifests as two explanations of art’s importance, but also as two different kinds of art, and two different ways of perceiving art. It seems undeniable that the modern trend is towards creating and using art as a means of escape from our daily lives. But I will argue that this is a mistake. Art is most beneficial to us, not when we merely extract entertainment from it, but when we use it and interpret it for its expressive and confrontational potential.

The Distinction

This distinction – between art as escape and art as confrontation – needs expanding on.

What do we really mean when we say that certain kinds of art invite us to escape from reality? Suppose that Painting X is produced purely for its aesthetic beauty – it is eye-catching and has immaculate detail. Simply put, it’s a marvel to look at. Yet, this painting, at least according to the artist’s intention, is not meant to express anything in particular about reality. In a sense, there is no “meaning” or “message” underlying the art. Its primary purpose is not to confront us with our thoughts and feelings, but instead simply to provide aesthetic pleasure.

On the contrary, suppose that Painting Y, on a strictly aesthetic basis, is less visually impressive. But this particular artwork is not intended to be pleasant on the eye, but rather to express the feeling of grief. Here, the beauty of the piece lies not in how it looks, but in what it conveys. We can say that Painting Y, by inviting the perceiver to contemplate grief, offers us a confrontation with an aspect of reality, rather than an escape from it.

For the most part, we can see whether a piece of art primarily lends itself towards escape or confrontation. Poetry, for example, will almost always be confrontation-oriented, whereas a murder mystery novel will typically invite the reader to escape. Of course, it isn’t always clear-cut. A certain film, for instance, may be incredibly on-the-surface entertaining but at the same an expression of a deep underlying theme. In this case, it is up to the audience’s interpretation – they can choose for themselves whether to perceive and value the film as an escape or confrontation.

More and more, art is being created and used for its powers of escapism. In many ways, this trend is unsurprising. And the reason for this is simple. When art is directed solely towards entertainment and pleasure, the result is something that is very entertaining and very pleasurable – so much so that it can easily become addictive. Moreover, when we use art for escape instead of confrontation, it’s easier and it requires less effort. No one can deny that listening to a catchy tune is easier than appreciating a piece of minimalist classical music that supposedly represents sadness and longing. And it is this universal temptation – the one that inclines us towards easy entertainment – that explains the rising demand for means of escape.

The Dangers of Escape

Now, I’m cautious not to overstate the potential harms of escape-orientated art. After all, to indulge in pleasure for the sake of pleasure is a desire that is evolutionarily hardwired in all of us, and to advise against pleasure-seeking in all cases would be too demanding. When we’re looking for something to lift us, using art as a means of escape is not only understandable, but it’s often harmless.

However, moderation is crucial. The primary danger is that, when we regularly use art for only entertainment purposes, we are making a habit of running away from our thoughts, feelings and problems. And this means that they aren’t being appropriately addressed. Suppose that you’ve had a bad day at work, and you return home feeling low. The temptation to play some up-beat music that will make you feel immediately better is strong. In this case, you are looking for something that will quite literally make you forget your problems. But of course, the escape is only temporary. These kinds of art may indeed cheer us up, but it is a mistake to think that they actually get rid of our sadness. Rather, the feeling is being suppressed, waiting to re-emerge when the entertainment is over. And over time, if this becomes a frequent occurrence, repressed thoughts and feelings are accumulating without having the chance to be positively transformed.

What’s more, escape-orientated art has become so accessible and so pleasurable that we are becoming over-reliant on it. No longer is it merely something that we sparingly use to lift ourselves, it’s now what we first look towards when we are feeling depressed, lonely, or even just bored. It has become a habit to escape from our own mind, and art (among other things) is providing us with plenty of means to do so. Yet the short-term relief we receive when escaping via art is simply not enough to properly overcome our negative feelings. Not only that, but when we become too accustomed to receiving pleasure from external sources, we forget how to cultivate joy within ourselves.

So, on occasion, it is fine to indulge in art purely for pleasure and entertainment, but we mustn’t allow it to become a habit of escape.

The Merits of Confrontation

Let’s forget art for a moment. If escape is ill-advised, then how should we deal with strong negative emotions? According to modern psychology – as well as many spiritual traditions – the best thing we can do is to become mindful of our feelings. This is to say that we address them directly, giving all our attention to our emotions. Indeed, this is the basic logic that underlies many forms of meditation – we try to concentrate on what’s inside us in order to transform and overcome negative emotions.

But meditator or not, we’ve at some point all experienced the benefits of properly confronting our own thoughts and feelings. We presumably all have a distinct memory of childhood anger, perhaps culminating in a dramatic slam of the bedroom door as we isolate ourselves from others. As kids, we didn’t know much better than to just sit there as a ball of fury, feeling the anger intensely. But in fact, this is the wisest thing we can do. By focusing on our anger instead of trying to escape it, we’re deepening our understanding of the feeling’s roots. It is the opposite of suppression – bringing a negative emotion to the forefront of our mind encourages a healthy transformation and an eventual release.

So, where does art come into this? Well, art can be a tool that allows us to confront our feelings. By exposing ourselves to certain artworks, we are in turn using it to become mindful of our emotions and to give them the recognition that they need. And this is healing for us – when we resonate with a piece of art that expresses a certain thought or feeling, we are avoiding suppression and allowing for understanding and transformation. If we’re feeling intensely jealous, an artistic expression of envy can help us to embrace the feeling. Similarly, if we’re feeling joyous, we can expose ourselves to an artistic representation of happiness, allowing us to recognise, deepen, and cherish the joy.

It should be noted that we don’t need to identify a specific feeling in order to enjoy art as a confrontation with reality. We can stroll into a cinema or an art gallery with nothing in particular on our minds, and yet still be educated, moved, or elated by an artwork’s expression of reality. Nevertheless, its power to get us deeply in touch with our feelings is one of art’s most precious virtues. Emotions often elude simple description, and when we resonate with an artistic expression of the indescribable, we are arguably maximising its potential.

It is art’s capacity to express reality that makes it so unique. After all, anything can be an escape – food, sex, social media, gaming, and sport, to name a few. What makes art so special is its potential to confront us with our lives, our minds, and reality. No doubt, in comparison to using art for escape, enjoying art for a confrontational purpose elicits a less immediate and less intense kind of pleasure, in turn explaining art’s modern trend towards escapism. But using art to confront reality is an experience that is deeper, more fulfilling, longer lasting, and potentially healing.