Fantasy > Vision

Fantasy

• Root: Greek phantasia (φαντασία) — “appearance, image, imagination”

  • From phantazesthai — “to make visible, to bring to light”

  • Related to phantasma — “ghost, apparition” (also the root of phantom)

• Evolution:

  • Latin phantasia → Old French fantasie → Middle English fantasy

• Connotation:

  • That which is conjured by the mind, often untethered from reality

  • Imagery, illusion, escapism; something seen, but not necessarily true

Vision

• Root: Latin videre — “to see”

  • Noun form: visio — “sight, a thing seen in the mind or imagination”

• Evolution:

  • Kept more direct connection to seeing clearly or prophetically

  • Entered English in the 13th century, often in spiritual or mystical contexts (e.g., "visions of saints")

• Connotation:

  • A clear seeing—sometimes inward, sometimes prophetic

  • Tethered to purpose, guidance, or calling; something that leads you, not just distracts you

Fantasy → Vision

Trap:
Fantasy seduces with images untethered from action. You drift through dreamscapes, mistaking them for maps. But disembodied phantoms cannot guide—they only distract.

Tell:
You feel high on possibility but low on momentum.
You chase “what ifs” that never ground into “what is.”
You’re a one-man band to do what it will take a team to accomplish, and you’re not recruiting anyone.

Alchemy:
Let vision cut through fog.
A true vision doesn’t just dazzle—it demands devotion. It comes with a cost and commitment.

Reminder:
Fantasy floats.
Vision walks.