The Santa Claus Effect…holding on to “what if”.
Long after I knew that Santa Claus didn’t exist; that it was really my parents, I still pretended to believe. At first, I didn’t want to let go of the illusion, and I refused to believe those who told me it wasn’t real. I held on to the last vestiges of hope that the fat jolly man in the red suit did exist.
However, it did explain why I never got the Barbie doll I always wanted. It was simply because my father thought other dolls were better. After all some even rode a tricycle!
I loved the idea of this mythical creature making presents for me and coming in magically through a key hole (because we didn’t have a fireplace…lol) to bring me Christmas gifts. Just because I was in the nice list. There is an element of romanticism in it all…and I am an incurable romantic after all.
Later, I think that if my parents realized I knew that I knew, the presents would stop. That’s something I could expect from my ever practical mom and dad.
I can’t help but see the analogy here. This is the same thing we do when it comes to other things like…romantic relationships.
In discussing this theory with a friend, we decided to call it “the Santa Claus effect”. In other words, this is when we continue to hold on to an illusion even when we know it really doesn’t exist.
We will continue to hold on to the idea of “what it could be if only…”; but that is only an illusion. It isn’t real. Just like Santa. However, we will continue to pretend to believe because to accept otherwise, would mean the death of the illusion. We are afraid that the feelings will stop coming… just like the presents. It would mean that it’s time to grow up.
It’s crazy. Human beings are complex. Or maybe just delusional? I don’t know…but we do lack sense.
“It’s just common sense!”… this is a phrase I hear all the time. However, I must agree with the great philosopher and writer Voltaire. He said, “The more I observe people’s behaviors, the more I realize that sense is not common at all”.
But what the heck is common sense? I found this description when surfing the internet…Common sense is a sound judgment derived from experience rather than study. Yes that sounds about right. But…how old do we need to get to start applying it?!
I dare say that there is a definite lack of common sense when we continue to believe something that isn’t real. Especially when we know, and there is evidence to suggest that we would be better off thinking or acting differently.
I have to admit that I have been guilty of the same senselessness or romanticism in the past. But I am not the only one. I’ve been simply caught in the “Santa Claus effect”… I realize now that I just didn’t want to let go of the last rays of hope that the illusion could become a reality. I refused to let go of the “what if…only if”.
But just like when I found out that Santa wasn’t real, I had to let go of the illusion eventually, accept reality, and grow up a bit.
The truth is that the presents have never stopped coming.
