The Dangers of Youthful Idealism
Idealism, in its purest form, is the belief that ideas and values are the primary determinants of human behavior and society. We are most prone to idealism during our youthful days – a period characterized by a sense of invincibility, optimism, and a desire to change the world. While being idealistic can be a powerful force for positive change, it can also pose significant dangers if not tempered with a dose of realism. Let’s look at the potential pitfalls of youthful idealism.
The result of my contemplations on the subject of youthful idealism opines that it is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it fuels innovation, drives social change, and inspires individuals to strive for a better world. On the other hand, it can lead to disillusionment, impracticality, and even extremism if not balanced with a realistic understanding of the world.
Take disillusionment for example, as young people, we are driven by our ideals and often set high expectations for ourselves and the world. However, when these expectations are not met, there is a huge tendency for us to become disillusioned and cynical. The 1960s counterculture movement in the United States was fueled by youthful idealism, with young people advocating for peace, love, and equality. However, when societal change did not occur as quickly or as completely as they had hoped, many became disillusioned, leading to a rise in drug use and other forms of escapism.
Youthful idealism carries with it the potential to lead to impracticality. Young people, driven by their ideals, may pursue goals that are unrealistic or unattainable. For example, many young people are drawn to careers in the arts or social activism, driven by their passion and ideals. However, these careers often do not provide a stable income, leading to financial instability and stress. Nobody can lead an ideal life without financial stability. The inability to embrace reality when life calls for it is a greater problem for any individual than the society can ever be.
Again, unchecked youthful idealism can lead to extremism. When young people become so committed to their ideals that they are willing to use any means necessary to achieve them, they can become radicalized. This has been seen in various political and religious movements throughout history, from the French Revolution to modern-day terrorist organizations. The interesting thing about radicalized young people is that they often strongly believe that they are trying to do good for everyone else without stopping to realize that what passes as good for one person can be totally harmful to the next. It is very difficult to get people to question such idealistic yet unrealistic concepts such as equality because radicalized people cannot see the dangers of such concepts.
Holding firmly onto our idealisms can only take us so far in life. Not knowing when to back-pedal on our ideals and allow the common good to prevail lowers our rankings on agreeableness. Now, I know that there are a lot of people who do not care about their ratings in social settings, and there are a lot of literatures that teach us not to care about social opinions of us. But can you imagine a world that is full of people who truly don’t care what other people think about them? That would be a disaster and nobody would live long enough to tell of it!
Our ideals as young people are only ideal enough if the people we are going to interact with for the rest of our lives is ourselves alone. As long as relating with other people or being a functional part of any community is concerned, who or what we are becomes far from ideal. We can be the very best of ourselves, but who we are is not fit for every place we step into. I know it’s very deflating to imagine ourselves as not being the next best thing since sliced bread, but our ability to carry this thought along with us as we go through daily life pursuits is paramount to becoming our best self under any situation.
Think about it this way: what use is the best neurosurgeon in a railway construction site? None! Next to none! However, if the neurosurgeon can temporarily suspend their ideals and open their minds to what is expected of them in that setting, they can become a perfect fit and excel. Even if you are the epitome of your own ideals, you may still be unfit if your idealism lacks flexibility and realism. So, remember to embrace adaptability and practicality to truly succeed.
Let’s conclude by noting that while youthful idealism can be a powerful force for positive change, it also has the potential to lead to disillusionment, impracticality, and extremism thereby turning one into a social nuisance or misfit. Therefore, it is crucial that as young people we daily strive to balance our idealism with a realistic understanding of the world. This does not mean that you should abandon your ideals, but rather that you should approach them with a sense of pragmatism and realism. By doing so, we can harness the power of our idealism to effect positive change, while avoiding the potential pitfalls that can come with unchecked idealism.
Make sure to like and share this article with the people you care about to help them incorporate realism and mental flexibility into their concepts of self. Also, leave us your thoughts on idealisms and the steps that you take to ensure that it doesn’t become a hindrance. Be on the lookout for future articles where we will continue to explore this topic under various headings.
