Opinion | The Novelist George Saunders on the Comfort of Truth

What does consolation imply to you? Reality. In case you and I are in a cabin and we are able to hear there are wolves outdoors. If I say it’s cool, they’re most likely canines. That’s not consolation. However should you have a look at one another and go, fuck, there’s wolves, that’s consolation. However she doesn’t have the aptitude to speak that to him. I’m very skeptical of this. I’m attempting to consider this. That consolation is reality. Yeah. I don’t wish to say I’ve by no means been comforted by the reality. Oh, however you, however you — I’ve extra usually been comforted — However you search consolation for it in your work every single day. You don’t —you come into work and also you attempt to resolve sophisticated issues, and also you’re searching for consolation. I don’t discover it snug. Properly, however you’re searching for, you’re in organic — you’re searching for homeostasis. That is likely to be proper. You wish to calm your self and luxury your self by getting in nearer relation to the reality so the world doesn’t appear so anarchic. In case you consider — now, that is getting slightly deep — however I believe should you say — It’s my hope — I imply, right here’s a query. Whenever you — have you ever ever been comforted by a falsehood? Sure. Which one? Once I was younger, I had a horrible worry of vomiting. And evening after evening, I might ask my mother and father to vow me earlier than I went to sleep that I wouldn’t throw up. And in that point, I used to be comforted by that. And did it work? I didn’t throw up in these years. So that they have been telling you the reality. Though proper now, one in all my — I by no means even made this connection till the second — however one in all my sons requested me to perform a little spell each evening to maintain away unhealthy goals. And it has not at all times labored. It’s just a bit like a rhyme. However I believe — However he’s comforted. He requested me for it each evening anyway. Since you’re engaged on it collectively. In a way, what you’re saying is all will likely be properly. And I believe that that’s a type of you extending grace to him, which isn’t precisely truthful. The spell isn’t precisely truthful, however the substrate or the inspiration of the spell is true.