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Why Realism Will Never Change the World by Justin Tamplin |
I am always being told that I am an unrealistic idealist. Apparently, I don't have a realistic view of the world and what can be accomplished. "You're just young. When you get older and out in the real world, then you'll learn to be a realist." Fuck that. Every time someone says that to me, it just makes me more aware of how important it is to stick to my guns and fight for what I believe in. People who say this are either too lazy to commit themselves to making a change or they simply don't know what is really going on in their "real world."
Realist and idealist are not contradictory terms. When you take the time to educate yourself about what makes the "real world" operate and become aware of all its dirty little secrets, your view of reality becomes too clear for you to do anything other than work for change. It's a sad state when people are resigned to simply let the status quo persist, as if it has always been and forever shall be. I know that people really do care somewhere deep down in their hearts. Unfortunately, everyone seems to think that setting the highest standards and not settling for anything less is futile, and in the end only results in frustration and burnout. I contend that idealism is not only absolutely essential for society, but also for the individual.
Any social progress that has ever been made began with a dream that was considered crazy. To quote the computer screen in HASLab, "the people who are crazy enough, who think they can change the world, are the ones who do." Just a few years ago the idea of removing a dam for the sake of restoring fish populations was unthinkable, today several dams have been removed and plans are under way to get rid of some of the more massive ones. Gandhi dreamed of a free India without the use of violence, and eventually achieved it. Abolitionists were considered crazy, but now slavery is unthinkable. On the other side of the political spectrum, the Contract With America shifted the entire political discourse to the right.
Movements that promote the strongest ideals are often termed "radical" or "extreme". These organizations serve a practical purpose in that they make other groups whose stances aren't so strong seem more moderate and accessible to the general public and powers that be. Earth First! and the Animal Liberation Front make groups like the Sierra Club and PETA look more reasonable by comparison. When making their arguments at the bargaining table, the moderates can point to the radicals and say, "Well at least we're not demanding as much as those people." Granted, this is playing to the status quo's fear of the idealist and not solving the underlying cause of the problem, but hey, if it works, why not take advantage of it. As progress is made, reality moves closer and closer to what was once seen as an impossible dream, until the former ideal is taken for granted as an everyday truth.
Beyond the purpose of working toward a better society, idealism has its personal benefits as well. Once you have educated yourself and formulated your vision of a perfect world, it is impossible to settle for anything less. Many people stop just before this point. Rather than set lofty goals which may not be reached within a reasonable time, they set lower goals and confine their expectations to what they see as realistic. This view will never lead to great strides in the state of humanity, nor will it result in anything more than a stagnation of yourself and society. If you know what it is you truly wish for, you will never be satisfied until you see your goals reached. Every time you compromise, you will know in the back of your mind that you are betraying your ideals. Living up to your high standards will provide much more satisfaction than the short-lived convenience of ignoring them. Those who set their goals as high as their ideals may have a tougher time reaching them, or may not reach them at all. But in the process of striving for them, they will have the knowledge that they are shooting for something much more than the mediocre. An ideal provides motivation to keep fighting your whole life. Imagine the feeling of succeeding; knowing that you have not compromised is much more satisfying than stopping half way there and settling with what you've got.
Idealism may be frustrating and lonely at times, and you will be tempted to give up, but the end result is infinitely more rewarding for both yourself and the causes you are working for. Stop listening to those who tell you it can't be done. No positive change has ever been made without the force of an idealist behind it, so get off your ass, stop making excuses and go out and change the world!