My parents didn't teach me to be a good person. In reality, when it came down to where I learned the importance of truth, where I found the fibers to build my moral from, it was not my parents who gave me these tools. The people who raised me up to be the good (according to everyone who isn't me) and honest (according to most people who aren't me) person that I am were authors. J.K. Rowling taught me the importance of friendships and misrepresentation that people can build of others. Shakespeare taught me about the mercurial dangers of infatuation, what happens when you are dishonest when honesty would solve your problems, and the downfalls of doubting yourself too much. Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child taught me that being unusual was nothing bad and that my skills, however odd and derided they were, could be the most valuable asset I have. I could go on, really, for quite some time.
The thing I'm trying to say is that it wasn't my parents who raised me but the books I read, the movies I watched, the t.v. shows I followed, and the music I listened to. My friends, that is the ones who take enough time to observe me, realize I have an uncanny understanding of people and a force of mind that startles many. My critical thinking and creativity has usually far outstripped most people my age and this isn't because of my parents but because of what I've learned through reading, writing, listening, and observing the fiction of my culture.
From my parents I learned habits: laughing when I'm nervous, never making my bed, the way I stand, my constant checking of exits, and my inability to comfortable stand with my back to doors and large groups of people. From books (and other media) I learned that poor communication is the downfall of basically all relationships, the truth is usually a better option, everyone needs moderate social skills, what social skills are, how to stand up for myself, and that there is absolutely nothing wrong with not being like everybody else.
I have lived my whole life in the fictional world and I do not think that I would have been better off outside of it.
