Dreams and Survival

Maybe dream isn't just some unrealistic and fancy fantasy.

Maybe it's more important than that.

Maybe it's what keeps us going.

A few days ago, I watched this YouTube video uploaded by a channel named Pixid. It’s a video featuring actor Kim Woobin, who was put in as a “fake model” hidden in the middle of some real rookie models, pretending to be one of them. It’s a fun content and I recommend you to watch it, BUT that’s not what we’re going to cover in this post. Instead, I want to highlight this part of the video:

The models (and that one actor which in fact used to be one too) were asked about the toughest thing about their jobs. After giving their answers, they were then being asked about the reason they still want to be models despite all the hardships they mentioned earlier. For this question, some of the models mentioned, “romantic dream”. Later, one of the models said that in reality, they’re starving all day, so they’re just following their dream. They then talked about things like wanting to become a brand ambassador, actor, etc.

Watching this got me thinking: how many people in this world rely on their dreams to survive?

Source: Pinterest

I’m a dreamer, but I know that the word “dream” for some people can sound like something childish, ridiculous, or cheesy. Some unrealistic and fancy fantasy that not everyone can afford or has time for. And that sayings like, “dreams do come true” make them cringe sometimes.

However, after seeing that video, I begin to realize that, whether they’re aware of it or not, people’s dreams keep them going.

Let’s start with a simple example: those who have crush on people they don’t know that well.

Like strangers they just met or people they barely interact with, that somehow make them fall in love after a once in a lifetime meeting or a very short encounter. Then, after some lovely imagination they create in their heads, their love for these people they barely know grows. That’s what I call, “you don’t love them, you love your ideas of them”.

Another instance: fans and celebrities’ ‘relationship’.

You know how some celebs do more fanservices than the others to make their fans feel loved, right? And the fans are probably old enough too, to realize that these celebrities are just doing their jobs. They do love their fans, but the fans are also aware that that they can’t see any face from the stage or that they’ve met too many for them to remember everyone. Some haters even say, “your idols don’t even know you exist”. However, these fans don’t care. They know the truth, but they just brush it off. They still accept all the attention, love gestures, and words that their celebs give them, and feel happy, inspired, and motivated by them. Because if these things can actually help them survive in this world and even become better individuals, why not? That’s why, despite all the impossibility, they still hold on to this fantasy that is sold to them.

Or like the video I mentioned earlier: those who do their best to pursue their ultimate dreams.

They work so hard in their studies, careers, or lives. They endure all kinds of difficulties. All because they have dreams that they want to achieve. Their success.

Source: Pinterest

If you’re thinking about it, these people don’t even know what will happen in the future. Will their love work? Will they become some lucky fans? Will they be successful? No one knows. They don’t know if what they believe in is true. They only have that faith within themselves and promises given by the universe, that eventually things will happen the way they want it. And some of them are probably don’t even trust the word, “dream”. Yet they still have that hope within them. Because it works. It keeps them going.

Whatever they look like, dreams and hopes help us move forward.

(Even if you don’t believe in them. Even if sometimes they fail you because you witness how your dreams don’t come true and how your plans don’t go your way. Even if you’re scared of them)

They help us survive.