The Real World

    I've always hated the way people use "The Real World" as some excuse, as some reason why they are better than, or as a way of disqualifying thought. It always seems cheap and false, like the whole "Respect Your Elders" thing (why should I if they are undeserving of my respect?) or the "What Goes Around Comes Around" gimmick, (sometimes it doesn't) which is why I've taken it upon myself to explain that you and I, and everyone else, are  on the same plane of existence, live in the same reality, and, by extension, do live in the same and very "Real World".

    I've thought about this quite a lot and I've come to the conclusion that those who claim to live in the "Real World" are those who have a skewed perspective on reality and who , in their minds, really do live in their own worlds. To suggest that one lives in the "Real World" is to also suggest that there exists a fake world, or multiple fake worlds, that others live in. It is in this very first, surface level, analysis of the phrase "Real World" that breaks it down completely. World, as defined my Merriam-Webster, is "The earth with its inhabitants and all things upon it." so, by very definition, the "Real World" is something that cannot exist without everything on earth. To suggest that I, or anyone, does not exist in the "Real World" is not only ignorant but also plainly false. I hate to break it to you, but we all exist in the  real world (notice this time without quotation marks) , even teenagers.

    Furthermore, because I understand that the phrase "Real World" is a figure of speech, I would like to explain the practical implications of the term "Real World" and why it is still false. The "Real World", as many would have you believe, is adult life, middle class life, or really any identity that is defined by one as the "Real World". This may involve paying bills, working a job, making a certain amount of money, and... well it is really uncertain what else, as the "Real World" is, as I've explained, a fantasy. This phrase can be used in any multitude of ways. For example: Grow up, get some experience in the real world, You wouldn't understand you've never lived in the real world, and (my personal favorite) This will prepare you for the real world. All of these are equally false as, again, everyone lives in the real world. Nothing can, or ever will, prepare anyone for the real world as once one has begun to exist they are in the real world. Why, I inquire, do we not use a more practical, more accurate phrase? I believe I have an answer. The phrase "Real World" allows people to feel better than. It allows people to express that they are existing differently, in a different world even, than those they feel are not qualified to say they've experienced enough or met a certain criteria. I am even guilty of this, it is easy for me to say that rich people don't understand what the "Real World" is or that they could never understand the lives of those in the middle class as they live in a 'different world' my faults are equal but they at least come with the understanding that I am technically incorrect. Using the phrase "Real World" connotes a severe disconnect that is not the fault of the person being projected into a different world, but of the person who is claiming that their reality is the real one.

    There exist other interpretations of reality and of worlds, some that suggest there are at least seven billion realities, one for each human, all of whom are experiencing and, therefore, creating separate realities, but then again, none of these can be defined as THE real world as there is none. Like all things, and perhaps more so than the majority of things, reality, and worlds as we define them, are very complex I simply ask that you refrain from claiming that your world is the "Real World" as it really pisses me off and makes you look dumb.

If I've linked you to this mid-argument and you've made it this far I'm glad I've found someone who will be thorough in discussion and who has taken the time to actually read this lengthy essay on what I am sure was just a casual choice of words.