Why Life Is Not Like The Movies | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Entertainment

Why Life Is Not Like The Movies

False expectations and unrealistic ideals set you up for lost hope.

1938
Why Life Is Not Like The Movies

Movies provide a wide variety of things that paint a picture – you can choose from a variety of genres including horror, comedy, drama, romance, and sci-fi. They tell a story and have a deeper meaning behind the screen. However, as great as movies are, they can give us false expectations in life. Movies are all concentrated stories that took time and money to create – stories that were made for our pure entertainment, nothing else. Everyone has a story to tell, whether or not their childhood was plain.

We don’t read off scripts, and most things in our life aren’t planned. Things just happen, and you can’t change it. We don’t get to alter our lives, unlike in movies.

Life choices are much more difficult to make compared to choices made in movies. Every choice you make can dramatically change the outcome of your life without you knowing it. Movies are great entertainment and can give us great ideas, but we should not model our relationships or our actions based off of them.

With movies, we tend to believe that perfection will always occur. It will not. Movies mostly have happy endings, but we can’t assume that our lives will be modeled after movies. With that being said, it is possible to have a happy ending in life – however, you must work at it. Relationships only stay strong with enough commitment and work. We are not the same characters; we don’t have the same lives. Not everything will turn out well.

You may not get that promotion at work. If you work hard enough, you may have a chance, but that’s not to say that you will get the job for sure.

You won’t meet someone that makes your life perfect all of the time. There are ups and downs, and that’s what life is. You may have perfect moments or movie-like moments, but not 24/7. Mistakes, experiences, and work make life what it truly is, a process. You put work into your job, your friendships and relationships. You make mistakes and you learn from them, and maybe not everything is okay at the time – but you are still living.

Love is shown quite differently in movies than in real life. For example, buying gifts to gain that girl’s heart may not work. That hunk isn’t going to just give you one look and magically fall in love with you. Relationships will require more attention, and you might have to sacrifice some freedom for it. Stalking your crush doesn’t mean they’ll end up liking you or falling in love with you eventually either (like in Twilight and Wedding Crashers). Your best friend that you’ve been secretly in love with might not ever see you in that way. It’s possible – but don’t expect it.

Movies specifically affect our expectations and hopes. We tend to believe that life will always work out and have a happy ending, but that's not always the case. The way we think about the future has been altered due to the previews and portrayals that we are given when we watch films. This can especially change the way we see relationships, and love in general. According to the Huffington Post,there's a new study that proves the fact that movies have changed the way people view romance and the way they behave in relationships. It can make us believe that "love will find a way", and that this idea can overcome any obstacle in life. If you haven't seen how to do something specific, you won't know how to do it, because you haven't been given anything to model after it. With movies, you can see how characters act in their relationships, which might make you more likely to act similar to those characters in real life.

Films give us false expectations in life, where we think everything should happen as they do in movies. We can’t have these false expectations, because then we lose hope. You should take charge in your own life, and if you want something, go for it and work for it. Unrealistic ideals of romance, friendships, and so forth should not be what you aim for. There also isn't always going to be a clear "revelation" or "solution"; sometimes you will have a lot of things in your life that will be left unanswered. Nothing is ever perfect; it's what makes life... life.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Entertainment

Every Girl Needs To Listen To 'She Used To Be Mine' By Sara Bareilles

These powerful lyrics remind us how much good is inside each of us and that sometimes we are too blinded by our imperfections to see the other side of the coin, to see all of that good.

131047
Every Girl Needs To Listen To 'She Used To Be Mine' By Sara Bareilles

The song was sent to me late in the middle of the night. I was still awake enough to plug in my headphones and listen to it immediately. I always did this when my best friend sent me songs, never wasting a moment. She had sent a message with this one too, telling me it reminded her so much of both of us and what we have each been through in the past couple of months.

Keep Reading...Show less
Zodiac wheel with signs and symbols surrounding a central sun against a starry sky.

What's your sign? It's one of the first questions some of us are asked when approached by someone in a bar, at a party or even when having lunch with some of our friends. Astrology, for centuries, has been one of the largest phenomenons out there. There's a reason why many magazines and newspapers have a horoscope page, and there's also a reason why almost every bookstore or library has a section dedicated completely to astrology. Many of us could just be curious about why some of us act differently than others and whom we will get along with best, and others may just want to see if their sign does, in fact, match their personality.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

20 Song Lyrics To Put A Spring Into Your Instagram Captions

"On an island in the sun, We'll be playing and having fun"

30149
Person in front of neon musical instruments; glowing red and white lights.
Photo by Spencer Imbrock on Unsplash

Whenever I post a picture to Instagram, it takes me so long to come up with a caption. I want to be funny, clever, cute and direct all at the same time. It can be frustrating! So I just look for some online. I really like to find a song lyric that goes with my picture, I just feel like it gives the picture a certain vibe.

Here's a list of song lyrics that can go with any picture you want to post!

Keep Reading...Show less
Chalk drawing of scales weighing "good" and "bad" on a blackboard.
WP content

Being a good person does not depend on your religion or status in life, your race or skin color, political views or culture. It depends on how good you treat others.

We are all born to do something great. Whether that be to grow up and become a doctor and save the lives of thousands of people, run a marathon, win the Noble Peace Prize, or be the greatest mother or father for your own future children one day. Regardless, we are all born with a purpose. But in between birth and death lies a path that life paves for us; a path that we must fill with something that gives our lives meaning.

Keep Reading...Show less
Health and Wellness

10 Hygiene Tips For All College Athletes

College athletes, it's time we talk about sports hygiene.

27755
Woman doing pull-ups on bars with sun shining behind her.

I got a request to talk about college athletes hygiene so here it is.

College athletes, I get it, you are busy! From class, to morning workouts, to study table, to practice, and more. But that does not excuse the fact that your hygiene comes first! Here are some tips when it comes to taking care of your self.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments