Idealism...yeah right
For hundreds of years, people have been searching for the ideal this and the ideal that which includes searching for the ideal man or woman. Does this thing, along with every other “ideal” thing, truly exist, or is it just a figment of our collective imaginations? Those, as well as a definition of my ideal woman, are the topics for the day.
I guess as one of my friends "Groovy" (alias used to protect the innocent), and I discussed at length this weekend, idealism and it’s definition are a relative thing…that is to say that what idealism means to me is going to differ greatly from what it means to you, dear reader. So, before we begin to dissect the existence or lack thereof of idealism, let me define how I view idealism.
Dictionary.com defines “ideal” as: 1: conforming to an ultimate standard of perfection or excellence; embodying an ideal 2: constituting or existing only in the form of an idea or mental image or conception; "a poem or essay may be typical of its period in idea or ideal content" 3: of or relating to the philosophical doctrine of the reality of ideas 1: the idea of something that is perfect; something that one hopes to attain 2: model of excellence or perfection of a kind; one having no equal. By this definition, an ideal is something that is perfect, one of a kind and a model of existence. This definition closely mirrors my definition (as well it should, I guess), but I don’t believe that anything ideal truly exists.
It’s like a fantasyland view of things.
By our very nature, humans are imperfect. We are imperfect beings created by a perfect God. Our imperfections are what make us unique, and yet flawed. Because we are flawed, nothing that we can create, build or even think about is flawless, and is therefore imperfect, or less than ideal. It’s because of this inherent flaw that I personally don’t think that anything is ideal.
I have met, and have dated, idealists before. They are a unique blend of cloudy thought, fantasy and a unique view of the world. While groovy and I were talking, I likened it to an ostrich burying its head in the sand anytime trouble comes along. If the ostrich can’t see the problem, it isn’t there. This isn’t to say that the ostrich is always unaware of the problem at hand; it just chooses to ignore it and hope for the best. Maybe idealists are the world’s best optimists. The ironic thing is, on my MP3 player, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” is now playing (laughs).
Now, before this turns into a novel, let me pretend for a bit that I think there are ideal things, and more importantly, an ideal woman. I discussed this last night, well; actually I mentioned writing this last night to Wife of Neighbor and she said that all I needed to do was talk to her, because she was the ideal woman already (this was said in a joking manner in front of Neighbor…so don’t worry, dear reader, it was a joke).
The ideal woman: 1) Someone who can make me laugh. I have a weird sense of humor (I can give examples, but those of you that know me already know this fact) and strange things make me laugh. My main goal in life is to be happy. I’m much happier lately than I have been in a long time (as in several years…like 2 and a half), and I owe that, in part, to my friends (I thank you all, from the bottom of my heart). 2) Someone who actually has a brain and can carry on an intelligent conversation. I meet people at work all the time who are much less than conversationalists. One could argue that it takes practice to be able to communicate well (this is true, of course), but I would like to have a conversation about more than the color of grass. I want to talk about new technologies, new philosophies, and different ideas. Small talk kills me…I don’t understand it. 3) Someone who understand how I think. Here’s the deal: I tend to think a lot before I say something because, to me, words are one of the few things that can't be taken back. Words are, quite often, the most damaging things that someone can hurl at someone else. Physical wounds heal quickly…emotional wounds take MUCH longer. If someone could understand that, and be patient with me while I carefully choose my words, it would make discussing difficult subjects much easier. 4) Someone that I share life-goals with. I want to be able to work WITH someone to achieve our common goals in life, not have to fight with someone about whose dreams will be realized this week. That’s no fun.
There are, of course, other things that are important: Honesty, Respect, Ability to handle stressful situations (stay cool in difficult situations). These are important, but (other than honesty) they are less important than the above-mentioned items.
I could sit here and try to decide if the “ideal woman” really exists or not, but…why waste my time? If there is such a thing as an ideal woman out there for me, I will find her when the timing is right. If she is out there…well, I can only assume she is. To assume otherwise would be to assume that my life will be lonely, and I know that’s not true.
-LT
I guess as one of my friends "Groovy" (alias used to protect the innocent), and I discussed at length this weekend, idealism and it’s definition are a relative thing…that is to say that what idealism means to me is going to differ greatly from what it means to you, dear reader. So, before we begin to dissect the existence or lack thereof of idealism, let me define how I view idealism.
Dictionary.com defines “ideal” as: 1: conforming to an ultimate standard of perfection or excellence; embodying an ideal 2: constituting or existing only in the form of an idea or mental image or conception; "a poem or essay may be typical of its period in idea or ideal content" 3: of or relating to the philosophical doctrine of the reality of ideas 1: the idea of something that is perfect; something that one hopes to attain 2: model of excellence or perfection of a kind; one having no equal. By this definition, an ideal is something that is perfect, one of a kind and a model of existence. This definition closely mirrors my definition (as well it should, I guess), but I don’t believe that anything ideal truly exists.
It’s like a fantasyland view of things.
By our very nature, humans are imperfect. We are imperfect beings created by a perfect God. Our imperfections are what make us unique, and yet flawed. Because we are flawed, nothing that we can create, build or even think about is flawless, and is therefore imperfect, or less than ideal. It’s because of this inherent flaw that I personally don’t think that anything is ideal.
I have met, and have dated, idealists before. They are a unique blend of cloudy thought, fantasy and a unique view of the world. While groovy and I were talking, I likened it to an ostrich burying its head in the sand anytime trouble comes along. If the ostrich can’t see the problem, it isn’t there. This isn’t to say that the ostrich is always unaware of the problem at hand; it just chooses to ignore it and hope for the best. Maybe idealists are the world’s best optimists. The ironic thing is, on my MP3 player, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” is now playing (laughs).
Now, before this turns into a novel, let me pretend for a bit that I think there are ideal things, and more importantly, an ideal woman. I discussed this last night, well; actually I mentioned writing this last night to Wife of Neighbor and she said that all I needed to do was talk to her, because she was the ideal woman already (this was said in a joking manner in front of Neighbor…so don’t worry, dear reader, it was a joke).
The ideal woman: 1) Someone who can make me laugh. I have a weird sense of humor (I can give examples, but those of you that know me already know this fact) and strange things make me laugh. My main goal in life is to be happy. I’m much happier lately than I have been in a long time (as in several years…like 2 and a half), and I owe that, in part, to my friends (I thank you all, from the bottom of my heart). 2) Someone who actually has a brain and can carry on an intelligent conversation. I meet people at work all the time who are much less than conversationalists. One could argue that it takes practice to be able to communicate well (this is true, of course), but I would like to have a conversation about more than the color of grass. I want to talk about new technologies, new philosophies, and different ideas. Small talk kills me…I don’t understand it. 3) Someone who understand how I think. Here’s the deal: I tend to think a lot before I say something because, to me, words are one of the few things that can't be taken back. Words are, quite often, the most damaging things that someone can hurl at someone else. Physical wounds heal quickly…emotional wounds take MUCH longer. If someone could understand that, and be patient with me while I carefully choose my words, it would make discussing difficult subjects much easier. 4) Someone that I share life-goals with. I want to be able to work WITH someone to achieve our common goals in life, not have to fight with someone about whose dreams will be realized this week. That’s no fun.
There are, of course, other things that are important: Honesty, Respect, Ability to handle stressful situations (stay cool in difficult situations). These are important, but (other than honesty) they are less important than the above-mentioned items.
I could sit here and try to decide if the “ideal woman” really exists or not, but…why waste my time? If there is such a thing as an ideal woman out there for me, I will find her when the timing is right. If she is out there…well, I can only assume she is. To assume otherwise would be to assume that my life will be lonely, and I know that’s not true.
-LT
posted by LaTech at 8:23 AM
3 Comments:
Hi - this is the above-mentioned Groovy. TWG described our conversation very well, except that I'd like to clarify one point. When I used the term "Idealist", I was referring more to my particular Myers-Briggs personality style (see http://www.personalitypage.com/INFP.html), and less to the dictionary.com meaning of the word (although TWG and I discussed both meanings, as he said). Let me close by saying Woohoo! My first blog comment!
Welcome to the blogging world, Groovy! Yeah, I know I left out that part of the discussion, but you have to admit, considering the length of time that we talked, I was doing well to remember what I did. ;-) Anyway, Glad you made it home safely. -LT
Just to give you all some further insight, I'm an ISTJ (http://www.personalitypage.com/ISTJ.html). That's pretty accurate, also.
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