Why does it matter?

The majority of the blogs I have read from this class deal with the idea of image and reality. We have all been giving examples of things that appear to be one thing but are really another. We are concerned with what appears real and what is real. But why do we bother with trying to discern what is real and what isn't. How am I affected by someone thinking that I'm on a date rather then just going out to eat with a friend. In some sense my reality is that some people think my friend are dating, just like Jordans reality is that people judge her as irresponsible just because she has two sons. Our image affects our realities so why does it matter what is actually real and what isn't real because the people making the judgements based on our image don't care.

Sometimes the way something appears is better then what it really is. There is no harm and letting that image persist as long as it doesn't cause harm to someone. We let children believe in Santa Clause even though he isn't real because it gives them hope and makes them happy. There is nothing wrong with that, and there is no advantage to be gained by explaining to them that Santa is real. Santa is real to them.

Image and Reality become tied together, but why is it so important that we separate them?