Idealism is Good: Part 2 Oct 05 '00    Write an essay on this topic. Tweet This addition is in response to several comments and emails I have received regarding my previous opinion titled 'Idealism is Good' (http://tacall.epinions.com/kifm-review-3B6F-194B1237-39D97A34-prod4). Some people perceive being idealistic as bad, or not good. Unfortunately it can be taken so far as to overrule your intellect and fire up some emotional reactivity. In that case, yes, it's probably not a good thing and might cause some problems. This is not my take on Idealism. As I stated, idealism must be tempered with realism, and pragmatism, and [...insert your favorite 'ism'...]. There must be a balance so that one does not go off the deep end in either direction. Yes, I will lean to the idealistic, but hopefully not so much as my judgement gets clouded and I begin to make poor decisions. Controlled Idealism The concept of controlling your idealism is not to restrict or hinder it. Control simply means you are in control of your emotions and intellect so that sound reasoning and judgement are at the heart of whatever is going on. Being in control allows you to see where the idealistic is possible, but perhaps not probable, and therefore make the right decision. You've got to remember that although we idealists want things to be the way they should (in our opinion), that is not always the way the world is. And it's not going to change just because we want it to. Should that stop us from striving for excellence? No, not at all. Goals are important. Without them, the idealist has no boundaries or objectives. If you aim at nothing, you will certainly hit it. If you aim for the bullseye, simply hitting the target (maybe not even the center) is much better than hitting nothing. Bring this Home Todd Here it is... If one is idealistic in terms of their family life, they will have high standards according to how they view the world. If one is idealistic in their relationships, they will strive for the best in them, and yet be willing to admit fault, because that elevates the relationship. If one is idealistic in their marriage, they will strive to make it as best as it possibly can be, no matter what obstacles lie in the way. Because the ideal is out there, it IS a target. Why not aim for it? Is the ideal always possible, no. Am I still going to go for it? Absolutely! My Challenge to You Being idealistic and opinionated, I sometimes step on people's toes. Now whether they just had their toes in the wrong place, or they really needed to be stepped on, I don't know, only you can judge that for yourself. However, when someone presents information or an idea that you don't agree with, hear them out. At least chew on the information for some amount of time. If you still disagree, fine. At least you were challenged, and allowed yourself to be challenged, and had the opportunity to grow no matter what conclusion you came too. Conclusion Being idealistic is tough, and can be emotionally draining. It must be tempered, a balance must be struck. Idealism is good, but it can be dangerous if not controlled. If you're an idealist, great! If it's not for you, that's ok too. At least you added another perspective, and for 5 minutes you thought maybe I was right.

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