Does art imitate life, or does life imitate art?

Writing in an 1889 essay, the Irish playwright Oscar Wilde contested the latter. The article was titled, “The Decay of Lying: An Observation.” Known for his wit, charm, sarcasm, and vanity, he was being intentionally provocative when he declared, “Life imitates art far more than art imitates life.”

Was he right?

Fans of the animated “Simpsons” television show could make a convincing case. From predicting in 2000 that Donald Trump would be president to the creation and use of smart watches, video chat, FIFA corruption, and even the creation of the Albuquerque Isotopes minor league baseball team (the Colorado Rockies Triple A team), it’s uncanny how many times fictional plots on the program became fact in real life.

Yet, just declaring the fantastical to be true doesn’t make it so, of course. It’s one thing for creator Matt Groening to spin up imaginary plots in Homer’s Springfield and a whole other thing to expect people to believe things that just aren’t true. Nevertheless, delusions can run deep. Here are five cultural claims that don’t hold up.

Claim # 1: Books are Being Banned in the United States. I’ve enjoyed the writings of stoic philosopher Ryan Holiday. In addition to being a bestselling author, Ryan owns “The Painted Porch Bookshop” in Bastrop, TX. It looks like a great place filled with some terrific books.

But Ryan recently announced plans to create a “Banned Books Library” and is accepting contributions. Only there’s no such thing as a banned book in America. Yes, schools and libraries are using wisdom and discernment when choosing which age-appropriate books to carry for children. This is called common sense.

The fact that Ryan is legally creating a library of so-called “banned books” proves there’s no ban.

Claim # 2: We’re on the Verge of a Climate Catastrophe. Writing in last week’s Wall Street Journal, Bjorn Lomborg, president of the Copenhagen Consensus and a fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution, debunked the World Health Organization (WHO) claim we’re facing a global health emergency because of warmer temperatures.

It seems the WHO is worried that the risk of European heat death has risen by 82% since 1990. Only they conveniently ignore the fact that the elderly population has increased in Europe by 78%. Lomborg notes, “Aging alone explains virtually all the observed increase in heat-deaths.”

Author of the book, “False Alarm,” Lomborg rightly points out, “As temperatures rise, heat deaths increase, but cold deaths fall. Cold deaths far outnumber heat deaths on every continent … The WHO report not only exaggerates heat deaths; it conceals the fact that cold deaths have declined by approximately 250 times as much as heat deaths have risen.”

Claim # 3: The Legalization of Recreational Marijuana Has Been Harmless. From rising homelessness to an increase in cannabis-induced impairment while driving to spikes in related mental health, pot is a social debacle, especially in Colorado. It’s also a sign of something much deeper. The late Dr. Karl Menninger, the “dean of American psychiatry,” pointed this out, warning, “The voice of addiction is the voice of pain.”

Claim # 4: You Can Watch and Consume Whatever You Want Without Effect. Whether gaming, watching pornography or violent/crass movies and television, or endless doom-scrolling on your smartphone, it’s delusional to think we can compartmentalize our consumption without impact. We become who we spend time with, what we read and watch, and think about all day long.

While the profound negative impact of social media is beginning to be more widely appreciated, culture’s embrace appears unabated. The wise take digital breaks and protect their hearts and minds from the corrosive. Don’t mock wholesomeness but run to it.

Claim # 5: You Are in Control: It’s true that we have great latitude when it comes to making decisions. Who you marry carries profound consequences, for good or bad. But you can’t control that individual, nor are you guaranteed they’ll live as long as you. Finding purpose and meaningful work is another critical decision, but there’s no guarantee the company or venture will outlast you.

Control is an illusion. Growing old is a luxury. Don’t fight it. Welcome it. Recognize it as a gift. Be grateful for it.

The world is full of deception, but the Bible is prescriptive: “Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit.”

Paul J. Batura is a local writer and founder of the 4:8 Media Network. He can be reached via email Paul@PaulBatura.com or on X @PaulBatura.