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When a man chooses an illusion which lends him hope, is this not preferable to the reality which leads him to despair? Choosing to abandon reality and live in an idealistic, but illusionary world like that of Don Quixote, a character from Dale Wasserman's Man of La Mancha, may seem at first like a choice that few would make. However, escaping despair by entering into a fantasy is one of the ways people have dealt with hardship throughout history. By accepting illusion, hope for the future can be summoned even during the most difficult situations. Few could ever allow themselves to believe as much Don Quixote did, but many use this escape mechanism in smaller ways during daily life. By ignoring hunger, war, human rights issues, and other problems in the unseen corners of the world, we are blocking out reality and allowing ourselves to buy into a fantasy. Glorification of famous actors, sports stars, and models divert our attention from more depressing issues, towards dreams of beauty, fame and wealth. One never see movies about starving African children or slave laborers in Asia;