We all like going to the dark side of things; we all like dipping

In the vast expanse of human nature, there lies an undeniable attraction to the dark side of things — that which is unknown, mysterious, and often forbidden. The words of Antony Starr, who reflects upon the allure of such worlds, speak to a deep, primal truth within us: "We all like going to the dark side of things; we all like dipping into worlds that we don't know anything about, or hopefully don't know anything about." It is an intrinsic part of the human spirit to explore the hidden corners of existence, those places where danger and uncertainty meet, and where the rules of our daily lives seem to dissolve into shadows. There is something powerful in the act of venturing into the unknown, even if it is from the safety of the known.

Why do we, as individuals, feel such an urge to peer into the depths of darkness, to step into worlds that hold dangers and mysteries beyond our reach? Is it not the very essence of our journey as humans? The unknown calls to us like a distant star, its light both alluring and dangerous. For in that darkness, we find what we are made of. We confront our fears, our desires, and even our limits. It is as if by stepping into these shadowy realms, we discover a part of ourselves that otherwise remains hidden — a part that can only be awakened through encounters with the unfamiliar, the forbidden, or the chaotic.

This is why shows like Banshee, to which Antony Starr refers, hold such a powerful allure for us. They give us a chance to confront the unknown, to explore those dark spaces that reside within both the fictional world and within ourselves, yet with the assurance that we remain safe, detached from the consequences of true danger. We can dive into violence, betrayal, and mystery, knowing that the risks are not real. The show creates a buffer between us and reality, a barrier that allows us to experience without the terror of actual harm. It becomes a safety net, a way for the mind and soul to journey into places where our feet would never dare to tread in life.

The ancients, too, understood this paradox. Consider the story of the great philosopher Plato, who in his Allegory of the Cave explores the idea of illusion versus reality. In this allegory, prisoners are chained inside a cave, facing a wall where they see only shadows. These shadows are their reality, but they are not the true forms of things. The prisoner who escapes and ventures into the outside world is forced to confront the blinding light of truth, much like how we step into the darkness of unknown realms in the safety of fiction. It is not the darkness itself that calls us, but the truths it reveals about ourselves — truths we might not otherwise face, or truths that would be too much to bear in the light of our everyday world.

There are other examples in history of individuals drawn to the unknown, to those darker corners of existence. Hercules, the great hero of Greek mythology, embarked on his twelve labors, each one more perilous than the last. One of his tasks took him into the underworld itself, to confront the fears and dangers that reside in the very depths of existence. Yet, in doing so, he gained not only strength and wisdom, but an understanding of the shadowy places within the human soul. He faced the darkness and emerged triumphant, not by avoiding it, but by confronting it directly. In this way, the myth of Hercules mirrors our own human journey: to explore the darker side of life, not as an act of mere curiosity, but as a necessary part of growth and enlightenment.

Antony Starr’s quote, therefore, invites us to reflect on the nature of our curiosity, and the role that fiction plays in satisfying our need to explore the darker realms of the human experience. We are creatures who must sometimes step into the abyss, not to be consumed by it, but to learn from it. By witnessing the darkness safely, we can better understand our own light. It is only when we see what lurks in the shadows that we begin to fully appreciate the power of the light we carry within ourselves.

The lesson here is clear. We must not shy away from the darkness, whether in the realm of fiction or in our own lives. There are lessons to be learned in the unknown, in the places where fear and courage intertwine. Yet, we must remember to always keep that buffer between reality and fiction — to venture into these realms with the understanding that we return, unscathed, to the light. We must not let our curiosity lead us into despair or destruction, but rather allow it to strengthen us, to help us grow. The dark side is not a place of doom, but a space where we confront and overcome our deepest fears, emerging wiser, stronger, and more attuned to the complexities of the human experience.

In the end, the dark side is not something to be feared, but something to be embraced, for it is through understanding the shadows that we come to better know the light within. Just as in the tales of old, where heroes ventured into realms unknown to discover their true selves, we too must take that journey — safely, of course, but with courage nonetheless.