Suspension of disbelief facts for kids

Suspension of disbelief is when you let yourself believe something that isn't real, like a fantasy story, while you are enjoying it. It means you choose to accept the make-believe world of a movie, book, or game, even if you know it's not true in real life.

What is Suspension of Disbelief?

When you read a book or watch a movie, you know it's not really happening. But to enjoy the story, you often let yourself forget that for a little while. This is called suspension of disbelief. You put aside your doubts and pretend that the impossible things in the story are real.

For example, imagine watching a superhero movie. You know people can't actually fly or shoot lasers from their eyes. But for the movie to be fun, you choose to believe that the superhero can do these things. You "suspend" your "disbelief" (your feeling that it's not real).

Why Do We Suspend Disbelief?

We do this to have fun! If you kept thinking "that's not real!" every second, you wouldn't enjoy the story. Suspension of disbelief helps you:

• Feel excited by the action.
• Care about the characters.
• Get lost in a different world.
• Learn new ideas or feel strong emotions.

It's like a game you play with your mind. You agree to go along with the story's rules, even if they are very different from real life.

Fantasy Worlds and Real Life

Reality is the world we live in every day. It's what we can touch, see, and know is true. Fantasy is a world that only exists in our minds, in stories, or in art. Fantasy things cannot be real in the same way a chair or a tree is real.

The White Rabbit Example

Think about the White Rabbit from Lewis Carroll's book, "Alice in Wonderland." This rabbit can stand on two legs, wear clothes, and talk like a human. In real life, rabbits don't do any of these things. Because of what we know about real rabbits, we understand that the White Rabbit is a fantasy character. It lives in a world that isn't real.

When you read "Alice in Wonderland," you suspend your disbelief. You accept that a talking rabbit is part of Alice's adventure. This allows you to enjoy the strange and wonderful things that happen in Wonderland. If you didn't suspend your disbelief, the story might just seem silly or impossible, and you wouldn't find it entertaining.

Connecting to Stories

By letting yourself believe a story is real while it's happening, you can feel a connection to it. This connection can be big or small. It helps you understand the characters' feelings or the story's message. Even if a story seems like pure nonsense, like "Alice in Wonderland," it can still hide clever ideas or meanings that you might miss if you don't let yourself get into the story.

So, the next time you watch a movie with dragons or read a book about magic, remember you're using your amazing ability to suspend disbelief!

See also

In Spanish: Suspensión de la incredulidad para niños