"The fancy that extraterrestrial life is by definition of a higher order than our own is one that soothes all children, and many writers"

Joan Didion's quote use the human fascination with extraterrestrial life and our tendency to idealize the unidentified. The phrase "the fancy that extraterrestrial life is by definition of a greater order than our own" recommends a typical assumption or hope that life beyond Earth transcends in intelligence, morality, or technology. This belief is reassuring as it offers a possibility of innovative beings who have gotten rid of the issues that afflict humanity, offering a design of what we may aspire to.

Didion suggests that this notion "soothes all children, and many writers". For children, the idea of kindhearted, extremely advanced aliens is appealing. It fuels creativity and offers an escape to a universe where beings exist that may have all the responses, working as guardians or heros. In literature and storytelling, extraterrestrial life frequently acts as a lorry for exploring styles of human restriction and potential. Writers find solace in the idea because it opens a world of imaginative possibilities, allowing them to craft speculative worlds that review human society, principles, and fate.

Furthermore, Didion indirectly discuss human nature itself. The tendency to glamorize alien life comes from dissatisfaction with our own condition and a yearning for connection and understanding beyond our flawed world. This idea may also encapsulate our conscious or subconscious hope that, in spite of our failures, there is assistance or enlightenment somewhere else in deep space.

Eventually, Didion's quote highlights an essential aspect of human psychology-- the requirement for marvel and the look for suggesting beyond our immediate presence. It questions why we often assume that what lies beyond must transcend, and it welcomes readers to consider what this fascination exposes about our own sense of place in the cosmos. Through this lens, extraterrestrial life works as both a forecast of human hope and a chance for reflection on earthly life.