Why is it that in society it takes us so much time to separate ourselves from what we believe is true? Adamantly we place our trust in science, or religion, political leaning or even our personal beliefs or thoughts. These things that we all carry around with us, and yet, are so rarely discussed. Our supposed truths, are the most erosive thing on our condition if they run unchecked through our experience of reality- and all of them are a product of Worldbuilding.
Worldbuilding is a term primarily used when talking about fantasy writing, but I and others would argue that it’s application is more useful than that. In the words of fantasy writer M. John Harrison,
“Narccistic worldbuilding represented by the word LOreal, already exists well upstream of J.K. Rowling or J.R.R. Tolkien. Neither of them is nearly as successful at worldbuilding as the genius’s coca cola or the catholic church.”
The truth is that every construct engineered to last in human history has that element of Worldbuilding as a necessary database of the actions of the entity which holds that backstory. Think of historical science, or religious histories. Think of the backstory of the United States- from the pilgrimage and the Revolutionary War, to President Obama. Hell, think of the way social media marketers craft the story of their business, or even the way you craft your own identity. All these, and indeed all of history is a form of Worldbuilding- and yet they are presented and thought of as truth.
Fantasy and fiction writing are the most honest creations that we have ever made as relating to our knowledge to the truth.