Have you become less idealistic with age?

Question

And what happens when you trow away your ideals?

Answer 1

I've come to see ideals just like I do dreams, but of the so-called 'waking' state, the true waking state being that precisely when this is realised.

Answer 2

This is a good question but as an older person I would say that, for me at least, the answer is 'no'.

         You do, you hope, gain wisdom in that you cease to believe that everything is lovely and that everyone believes what you believe.

          However, I still believe in the basic 'goodness' of people, having experienced it so often in my life. I believe that, basically, in any given situation or crisis, people's innate desire is to help.

           Of course it is easy to grumble that things are worse than they were 'in my young day', but I disagree with this. With all the wonders of science and medical advances we have now, of course they weren't!

           It is easy to concentrate on the negative aspects of crime and decay because that's what makes headlines. Good news doesn't make banner headlines.But I would say ,No. I have not become less idealistic.

From what I see of the younger generation in everyday life they are a pretty good lot;sensitive, helpful and caring.Aware of the World's problems and anxious to help.

          But then, maybe I've been lucky!

Answer 3

Yes......I used to be ridiculously idealistic when I was very young....about everything...I pictured everything in my life going a certain way and realized most of it didn't turn out that way and I got a bit upset. These days I just can't be bothered....I am trying to be less idealistic cause I think you'd drive yourself mad being too idealistic.  As for what happens when you throw away your ideals I don't know I'm probably not old enough to answer that yet.

Answer 4

yeah, so what?

Answer 5

No, but you probably become more realistic.

Answer 6

never give up on the good because something "better" comes along..

that way you will always have the good..

if the "better"...turns out not to be...

Answer 7

Well, I'm not that "old"--only 22--but I've definitely become more realistic. I still have my ideals, but reality has a way of biting you in the butt sometimes.

I always believed (and still do, to an extent) that I'd choose contentment/happiness over money/career. But in all honesty, when you it comes to paying bills and simply surviving, there are a lot of jobs I'd do just to make ends meet.

And, once I have kids, there's nothing I wouldn't do (even if I hated it) to make sure they were taken care of.

Personally, I don't think that people (well, most people) throw away their ideals. I just think those ideals get tempered by reality and its harshness. A sad but unavoidable fact of life, I'm afraid.

Answer 8

I think if you throw away the old you never realize the new.

So many people throw away the socrates idealism.

You ask so many questions when you have the power to but just because you read answers does not necessarily GIVE you the answer unless you can look hard and find the reasoning behind the questions which imo is just a power struggle.

Answer 9

I could say that I've become less idealistic with age in that in my early twenties I considered myself to be a "radical" Leftist (I use "radical" with its original intent - not how it's used currently).

I had high ideals of humanity and that we could eliminate the problems and evolve social and individually, etc... Now in my mid-thirties I can say that some of my ideals have grown more "libertarian," or just un-categorical.

But my deep convictions haven't really changed in-and-of-themselves. I think what's really different is my "faith" in human beings themselves to engage in, and enact, real change in society (especially the majority of Americans). American culture seems to have set itself up for this stalemate. Even politically we have two masses: one Republican and one Democrat continuously spouting opposition toward the other without realizing that they are two sides (and not that different of sides) to the same bloody "coin."

The old saying goes, "If you're not a liberal in your 20s then you have no heart, and if you're not conservative in your [30s or 40s - don't remember exactly] then you have no brain." ~It's not that I believe or agree with this simplistic dichotomous fallacy, but it may hold a minuscule amount of validity, at least as far as your question goes.

Answer 10

Idealism does not die down with the age. It is tempered with the time and practical consideration. Idealism does not necessarily mean that we should enter into a head on collision with all that we consider as evil. Wisdom demands that we corner the negativity in the most practical and pragmatic manner. Idealism will of course will remain a power engine to give you the necessary charge and power to your efforts in this regard.