- Idealism, as defined by Merriam-Webster, is “the practice of forming or pursuing ideals, especially unrealistically.” The last part of that definition sticks out as a clear bias, at least to an idealist like myself. Idealism has become something of a dirty word in our society and especially in regards to our current political landscape. Over time, we’ve ingrained cynicism and negativity into children, forcing them to give up before they’ve even started. We, as a society need to quit raising kids to be cynics.
I grew up with a very cynical mother, but she was nothing compared to the cynicism of my father. At maybe ten years old or so, I liked to comment on how “sweet” a public figure was for doing charity works. Whenever I said anything like this, my father would immediately go off on a rant about “how celebrities really don’t care about people at all” and “every charity work any famous person does is nothing but a stunt.” These clashes would just get worse as I got older – especially when I began to form coherent social and political opinions. My father liked to consider himself a “realistic democrat who knows when to stop.” Constantly, I was told my ideals for social progress, among other things, were too lofty. I would be told that I wasn’t going to change anything “realistically” (that word again) with my “dreamy free love attitudes.” Not just by my father, but my teachers as well. “Are you aware of what the world is?” Some would ask.
In current society, having an awareness about the world translates directly into being and cynical, being person who believes humans can’t be anything but awful to each other due to some system of nature in place. These people believe that striving for anything more than what’s given is unrealistic and anyone who thinks otherwise hasn’t grown up yet. Being “aware of the world” has become shorthand for giving up and rejecting change. This is the opposite of how should go about anything, much less improving a bad society. The biggest problem, however, with a cynical attitude isn’t even the attitude itself – it is how a cynical attitude is often branded as “realistic.” It is how we teach children that as you grow older, you have to loose your ideals. You have to loose your belief that the world and people can be a good place if one tries hard enough – it’s just not how adults do it.
Idealists, in my opinion, are actually the ones who are the most aware of the world. They are not arguing that the world is a flawless place and that our issues can go away in a minute. Idealists argue that we, as human beings, can achieve something more in terms of morality. If one believes systems of oppression cannot be dismantled, they will stay. If one does not actively fight for progress, it won’t happen. Idealists believe that something can and should always be done. We believe that good is still possible from the world, which drives us to organize together and change.
Idealism is the head of every major social movement. Community organizers and social activists cannot afford to be cynical. Idealism is not living in blissful ignorance within a flawed world. It is not rose colored glasses, and it is not negative. It is love and drive. Love for the potential goodness humans have and the drive to achieve that potential. We should all be Idealists.
