Get real... get a life, readers say

Most children grow up with some version of a Cinderella story. Even with over 700 versions of the classic fairy tales, most are familiar with the "once upon a time" beginning and "happily ever after" ending. As adults we still have our fairy tales; they're just delivered to us as summer cinematic fare.

Even with movies such as 1993's Sleepless in Seattle to this summer's Something Borrowed, the idea of a perfectly wrapped up happy ending is not one that everyone believes. Gulf News spoke to its readers about their expectations for a happy ending.

Khowla Shahbaz Rao, 40, said: "Every-one wants a happy ending, but it doesn't really happen. Whoever believes in happy endings can enjoy those types of films."

Even though she considers Sleeping Beauty to be her favourite fairy tale, Rao considers the idea of a happy ending too idealistic because in reality people need to be prepared for the best and worst outcome.

"Don't just wait for the happy ending that you want to happen," she added.

Noora Saeed Al Habshi, 23, shares Rao's belief in fairy tales, but she too sees faults in believing in them too much. "It's not good to believe in happy endings because life won't turn out the way you want. People don't always get the happy ending," she said.

Ala'a Al Gazo, 30, asked: "Why not believe in happy endings?"

For him, his graduation 10 years ago is a happy ending and moving to Dubai was a happy ending for the previous part of his life. Would he put all of his faith in a happy ending, however? Probably not.

"It is good to believe in happy endings because that gives you hope, but don't spend your whole life waiting for a happy ending. Just be positive and the happy ending will happen in itself," Al Gazo said.

He believes if people spend too much time waiting for the perfect outcome, they end up nervous and distracted, without getting the chance to enjoy their life.

Similarly Charmain Fernandes, 20, also believes in happy endings in life.

Worth a shot

"It isn't always good to believe a happy ending because you don't always get what is expected, but it's worth a shot," Fernandes said.

Her idea of a happy ending is when "everyone is content with the way life is going. There are different turnouts but you're happy with it."

In the case of 26-year-old Abin Ninan, he doesn't think that happy endings ever really happen, but he still believes them.

"It is basically what you expect or want, and it actually happens," Ninan said.

"For example, if I want to win the lottery and I actually win, that would be a happy ending."

While he doesn't think happy endings actually occur, Ninan said that believing in a happy ending is beneficial because it encourages people to strive for what they want, which makes that which they hope for more likely to occur.