there is an osmosis from fiction to reality, a constant contamination which distorts the truth behind both and fuzzes the telling distinctions in life itself, categorizing real situations and feelings by a set of rules largely culled from the most hoary fictional clichés, the most familiar and received nonsense. Hence the soap operas, and those who try to live their lives as soap operas, while believing the stories to be true; hence the quizzes where the ideal is to think as close to the mean as possible, and the one who conforms utterly is the one who stands above the rest; the Winner . . .
The quote from Iain M. Banks's "The State of the Art" reflects the intricate relationship between fiction and reality. It suggests that fiction influences our perceptions of real life, leading to a blending of the two. As we navigate through life, we often rely on familiar narratives and clichés derived from fiction, which can distort our understanding of genuine experiences and emotions. This distortion can create a framework through which we categorize and react to our real-world situations, often reducing them to simplistic and oversimplified tropes.
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