If you’re like me, it seems to get harder and harder to converse with many of your fellow humans, whether it be because you feel uncomfortable talking to others, people tend to force their opinions on you, or you just can’t handle the stupidity. That’s okay, and many other people understand. This is where fictional characters come in. The characters in your favorite book, movie, TV show, etc. not only bring entertainment to bored viewers but also provide a sense of familiarity and camaraderie, which, in turn, provides a sense of comfort.

You know that these characters won’t judge you or force their opinions on you; they aren’t perfect, but you are able to see the intricacies of their character and, through this, love them even more for their imperfections. Experiencing adventures with fictional characters through a screen or through paper fails to dilute the emotions shared between the audience and the characters; quite the opposite, actually. The emotions you feel are unfiltered and completely your own interpretation, making the experience that much more personal, but that is what the relationship between you and the fictional characters are based upon. With real, living people one cannot truly experience every happy moment, celebration, and romance, nor every betrayal, heartbreak, and loss. With fictional people, you feel as though you are one with that character like you are experiencing their adventures through them, whether their adventure is a murder case, a new and confusing romance, or a rebellion against a mighty dystopian kingdom. Authors create fictional characters up to a point, but then leave the rest to the audience's imagination, allowing for much more of a personal input from you than you would have for any real person, and this causes us to feel responsible for these characters, as if they were our friends, children, etc.

Most importantly, with a fictional character as a “friend,” you will always know they will be there for you, unlike with real people, who have their own lives, separate from yours. Real people can easily let you down, but fictional characters are much easier to forgive because they are often forced into impossible situations and most often, pick an option that will work out in the end. Fictional characters are made to be likeable, and if not likeable, tolerable, otherwise no would want to read the book or the movie. Because of this, there are more likeable and sensible fictional characters than there seem to be in the (seemingly) rapidly increasing stupidity in the world. As I stated earlier, fictional characters will not judge you, and that is something most people desperately hope for in any relationship.

It is okay to prefer spending your time with people in books, movies, or TV shows because it shows that you are creative. It shows that you have higher standards. It expresses your hopes and dreams for the real-life relationships you have. Loving a fictional character (within reason) does not make you crazy; it only expresses the struggles you’ve experienced in your lifetime. Fictional characters are, above all, a temporary escape from the craziness that is the world, and there is nothing wrong with that.