Idealism, Realism, and Wisdom

[solarpsychedelic]

Youth is the time to let idealism flower. If we didn’t have dreams and ideals, then we wouldn’t have the drive to test ourselves and find out who we are. Success helps yet learning how to cope with struggle, frustration, and loss is essential to maturing.
 

That leads to realism kicking in around mid life and the understanding of what can and can not still be achieved. 
 

Then in the elder stage of life, wisdom becomes the combination of the two: it’s a type of idealism that has been tested and tempered by reality. 
 

Society loves to ridicule dreams and idealism, thinking that to clip someone’s wings is to save them. Of course building the castle without foundations leads to consequences but the outright dismissal of dreams and aspirations creates another problem of people becoming too old before their time. 
 

Young people who are grounded in realism to the point of being attached to negative outcomes don’t take the risks that are necessary for personal development and maturing. Someone too grounded in realism for too long becomes dispirited and mistakes cynicism for wisdom.