So, my next topic is idealism. Giving it a swift thought, I would circle out two main reasons why this topic has to be included and be a part of these writings. One, it is just another way of breaking obstacles, such as social judgement or expactations, and be(come) more free in how we think and what we do. And two, we need idealism to have its place. We need it to tackle issues, to perceive issues as challenges, to find a way to realise what we see (over and over again) that matters for us. Of course, reading on you will understand better, why.
“A climate of cynicism”
It was a few years ago that I decided to read more into this topic. To try to understand it better. I was denoted as an idealist in many places or many social circles. I didn’t really understand what people mean by it (because it was lacking clearity and traction), but I did know that it was said in a demeaning tone.
This negative tone or negative image of idealism is quite real. If I take a look at dictionaries, for example, I can see the following definitions (or negative interpretations):
- [a person] who sees things in an ideal manner
- [a person] who believes it is possible to achieve the unachievable
- [a person] who does not understand the real and the possible
- [a person] who persuits hard-to-achieve or unabtainable goals
One of those first readings I remember reading back then was a post from Michael Josephson, a founder of Josephson Institute of Ethics, Los Angeles, CA. What he emphasises is that we “live in a climate of cynicism”. He pointed out how idealists are described as “people loosing touch with reality”, but how it is all just one more example of prejudicial assumptions. He wrote about idealists as (those who) never stop fighting for what matters to them. Furthermore, he emphasised how opening up to idealism changes our perceptions: realists see obstacles as reasons to back down, but idealists see them as natural part of the process.
Entering a field of philosophy
Of course, I went further into study and reasearch. And later what came to be most significant to me was an interpretation of idealism by philosophers. In philosophy, topic of idealism falls under the umbrella term of perception theories. Meaning, knowledge about various ways on how we can perceive a world around us. What I am showing or explaining you next is from watching a lesson by prof. Daniel Bonevac, University of Texas, Austin.
In philosophical terms, all object have two sets of qualities: primary and secondary. Primary qualities are the real, objective, can be measured in a particular moment. They are characteristics like a colour, or hardness or softness, or a shape of an object. Then, secondary qualities are those that “our mind adds as perceived”. Like what a certain object means, what we can do with it, how it was made or how it can be changed. It is all the things that we can know or learn about an object.
In perception theories, idealism goes on one side of the spectrum that on the other side ends with materialism. Idealists are oriented on secondary qualities (that is everything related to the mind), and materialists are oriented on primary qualities (that is “everything boils down to something material”).
What this means?
If I imagine two sales persons in my mind, and one observes the crowd, offers first product, then offers the second product, and then the third, and at the end selects the product that brought him or her best result (let’s call it product 2), then this person is a materialist. Why? Because the focus or orientation is on “how things are standing”. The second person studies the situation more thoroughly, asks questions, wants to understand the behaviour, wants to know the reasons, etc. Maybe he or she finds out that product 3 is a best choice, given we provide the crowd some additional information about it. This second person is more of an idealist.
I found a great thought about it on one web forum I came upon by a user with a nickname Aquino: “idealists have a strong believe that reality is shaped by our ideas and our will”. Idealism as a way of perceiving guides us to leaning more, to our mind and ideas and knowledge, and to trusting the power of these. What matters most is what we know or what we can learn about things. Understanding brings us options, and options brings the possibility of making choices. Idealists are always interested and intrigued by potentials.
Conclusion
Describing idealistic behaviour are one out of touch with reality is part of a climate of cynicism. Of course, idealists see the world around them just as much as materialists (or realists) do. They are firm believers in things that matter to them, and always strive to find ways to realise them. Obstacles are always part of the natural process and don’t really mean anything: you hit the obstacle, learn about it, surpass it, and continue with your path. I continuously hear people talking about how work environment and relationships at work matter, but leaders are highly hesitative to tackle challenges such as these. So, I think we need to throw the cynicism away, clean the reputation of idealistic behaviour to understand it more clearly, because following some of those goals decisively (as idealists know to do) can really be meaningful to many of us.
Paradim 