Let People Enjoy Things. Sometimes.

I recently read a wholesome post about a woman getting her hearing for the first time and the boyfriend stayed silent while she wept over hearing her mother's voice for the first time, etc. and then he leaned in close and asked her to marry him.

Mm. Okay.

I pointed out some issues with this and agreed that it was a nice story, but likely not true. No, I didn't need to do that. I could have moved on and ignored it and I didn't. So someone told me to "let nice stories exist".

You hear it a lot: "let people enjoy things". I am a big believer in this. I say it all the time when people hate on stuff, and I've been accused of not allowing it when someone misinterprets a question I pose and we have to have a whole debate blah, blah, blah, but here's the thing:

No.

Not everything should be allowed to exist unquestioned. There are some things, like the post I mention above, that are actively harmful and spread misinformation. Cochlear implants are amazing technology, but they aren't a magic fix-it. Stories like the one I read suggest that they are and this can damage someone's already fragile feelings on the subject of going deaf, or their understanding of why much of the Deaf community eschews the implants.

There are so many good things in this word. Incredible numbers that defy comprehension and we miss those things for our own safety because good grief, who can imagine doing dishes when you can look at every single sunset?

I love fantasy. I love stories. I enjoy the hell out of fiction, but reality can also be amazing. You ruin the genre when you present lies as truth. When you insist that misinformation is just as beautiful, you fool yourself.

By all means, make up stories; gods know I certainly do. Fiction and fantasy inspire. Lies inflict pain when wielded recklessly.

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