[Opinion] Which one is better, Idealism or Realism?

 

 

Idealism is when you envision or see things in an ideal or perfect manner. Realism, on the other hand, tends toward a more pragmatic and actual view of a situation. These two approaches are familiar to most of the us even though we are not familiar with the formal definitions of them. So which one among these is better?
        We are familiar with benefits of a positive mindset. Idealism helps greatly in having a positive mindset. A person with a positive mindset will be more hopeful, motivated and at peace with his situation. Believing things like good ultimately wins over evil, every act in life has a purpose etc can help in having peaceful mind. Believing that efforts will be rewarded will keep us motivated in our work. If we can believe all people are good, then we will have no need to judge, suspect or doubt anyone's intentions. If there is a super-natural power, it will take care of all the evil and we need not worry about it. It is a nice, happy life.
        Then why do we need realism if idealism is so powerful and positive? Because ideals exist only in our minds and not in reality. They can be, in some cases, inconsistent with reality. Sooner or later we will be then forced to acknowledge and understand reality. How many of us start with the belief that life is fair only to change it when encountered with harsh realities of world or a personal tragedy. You can believe that ocean is a shallow moving carpet of water with no danger as long as you are in a boat. But once you fall down, you have no choice but to swim the depths of the ocean. So, it is better to acknowledge depth of the ocean and learn to swim beforehand.

Below are some of the real life examples:

-> So many people join bureaucracy and politics with lofty ideals, only to end-up disillusioned when faced with the rigidness of the system!

-> So many people choose their profession believing they will make extraordinary impact on the world, only to be disappointed when they realize they are merely cogs in a big wheel!

->People may believe life will be good if they just follow elderly advice of parents and teachers, only to be shocked into reality when confronted with complexities of life once they step outside comfort zone of home and college!

Sure, there will be few examples where people don't fit the above scenarios and could live in their bubble for ever. But these are exceptions and exceptions merely prove the rule.
        Ideals are good as long as they are used to find meaning or purpose, and to give a sense of direction. But they become dangerous once they start distorting reality. So many religions, ideologies and traditions, though started with good intentions, ended up being a burden on humanity because they failed to acknowledge existing reality of the world. Violence due to communism is a good example of that.
        We don't have to choose only one between idealism and realism for all conditions and times. Saying we have to do so, in my opinion, is a false dichotomy. Choice can be dynamic. We can choose to be ideal to stay positive but should be realistic enough not to end up in a fantasy world. We should probably have one foot rooted in idealism and one in realism.