The ability to mold reality to our desires is very tempting. Many video games attempt to give us just such an ability. Games like SecondLife and The Sims allow gamers to create lives and worlds according to their whims. Sadly, virtual reality becomes reality for some gamers. Many more games give the player control over an in-game character, one whom they can modify and improve. Players spend a great deal of time collecting in-game currencies to spend on upgrades for their characters. Years ago I spent a good deal of time playing EVE Online, a massively multiplayer online game. One day, I realized that my in-game character had way more money (in-game) than I would ever have in real life. That depressed me. I then realized that my in-game character couldn’t buy me anything real, regardless of how rich he was in the game. My character couldn’t buy me an education or a home. He couldn’t buy me real relationships. I abandoned the game. Life didn’t get any worse, and my decision to hold on to reality has benefitted me greatly in the following years. I still play games, but for me they remain only a fun way to pass the time. I appreciate the quote from the movie Inception, “Don’t you want to take a leap of faith? Or become an old man, filled with regret, waiting to die alone!” and I encourage gamers to enjoy life and put reality first.