Idealism

simu

Is it necessary to retain a glimmer of one's youthful idealism in order to be successful in life? Discuss!

Karl Hungus

simu wrote:

Is it necessary to retain a glimmer of one's youthful idealism in order to be successful in life? Discuss!

Yes! Because if you've lost it all, and there's only cynical thoughts left, what's the point in life? Looks like you've already given up.

qz

simu wrote:

Is it necessary to retain a glimmer of one's youthful idealism in order to be successful in life? Discuss!

No, as new ideals will develop over time.

simu

Karl Hungus wrote:

Looks like you've already given up.

Oh no! I haven't given my answer yet!

Sleepy

It depends on how you define success to be honest. If you're referring to financial success, I think it's almost always necessary (outside of becoming a rockstar or whatever) to give up most of your youthful ideals...

Though I'm a strange one to be discussing this, I'm the only person I know who's become more liberal with each year that's passed!

Karl Hungus

simu wrote:

Oh no! I haven't given my answer yet!

No no, that wasn't aimed at you... It's that I think cynical people look like they've given up.

nesf

I think you do.

There are certain things that I've wanted to achieve since I was very young and while some of them were pipe dreams, I still hope to achieve some of them. Then again, ideals do change with times and it's a mark of maturity that one's goals change to suit you and who you are imho.

So maybe you could say that you need to carry some form of your youthful ideals forward but they are probably quite different to their original forms.

Dades

Again, success in what I'm thinking?

Success careerwise almost always requires some ditching of youthful ideals. Who grows up wanting to be an accountant? Of course some people will have more conservative youthful ideals than others, but the majority will involve a major rethink when the realities of life kick in.

However I think success as a person requires you to keep some of that idealism. Ditching your idealism too early might lead to what we know as the "mid life crisis"... i.e. aged 40 driving a Boxter and wearing t-shirts.

amp

simu wrote:

Is it necessary to retain a glimmer of one's youthful idealism in order to be successful in life? Discuss!

I'm still figuring out what being successful in life actually means. Money, wealth and fame don't seem to appeal to me. Instead on my deathbed I would decide if I'd been successful with a questionaire that might look something like this:

1. Did I kill anybody?
2. Did I help more people than I hurt?
3. Did I make any worthwhile contribution to the enlightenment of the human race?
4. Did I learn everything I could about the universe?

If I was satisfied with the answers to those questions then I would consider having lived a succesful life.

Laguna

simu wrote:

Is it necessary to retain a glimmer of one's youthful idealism in order to be successful in life? Discuss!

That's a tough one, because If you've experienced a lot of bad things in your life, how is it possible to retain any idealism?. Idealism, unfortunately, IMO leads to disappointment.

28064212

"Anyone who isn't a liberal at 20 has no heart. Anyone who isn't a conservative at 40 has no brain". I think that was Churchill. Or words to that effect.

Neuro

28064212 wrote:

"Anyone who isn't a liberal at 20 has no heart. Anyone who isn't a conservative at 40 has no brain". I think that was Churchill. Or words to that effect.

How true. I was at the blood bank yesterday and it was very quiet; there were none of the usual queues. The chap at the registration desk said it's usually quieter in the summer because there are no college students about. Apparently 50% of their blood donations are from college students.

Most 18 to 25 year olds tend to have very liberal worldviews (I would've considered myself liberal whan I was that age). But then they get married, buy a house and start having kids and their priorities change.

Catsmokinpot

ofcourse it is, if idealism stopped the world would come to a standstill.

Kell

Laguna wrote:

because If you've experienced a lot of bad things in your life, how is it possible to retain any idealism?. Idealism, unfortunately, IMO leads to disappointment.

Erm - speaking from the experience of having a tonne of crap dropped on his door step for various reasons, I have to disagree with you there. Rather than turn myself into a cynic and think "what the point in trying to achieve something when someone shíts on my parade" I am unchanged in my approach to things.

Bad experience has led caused me to apply "Perspective" to life (albeit with training) and not take things so personally. Cynics usually take everything personally and life in a self fulfilling prophecy of "the world is crap and its never going to get better". Cynics for some reason look at the things they cant change, they way the country is governed, bad roads blah blah blah rather than concentrating on what they can i.e. themselves.

Remember you create your own reality. Its píssing rain today - most of the country is going "the weather is crap and I am in a bad mood because of it". I am celebrating. The world looks fine to me.

K-

Tar.Aldarion

simu wrote:

Is it necessary to retain a glimmer of one's youthful idealism in order to be successful in life? Discuss!

Depends on what you mean by successful,everybody's idea of it varies,some people like money :eek:
I for one wish to never loose my idealism.To be successful in life,all i have to do is not be a hypocrate,be a great friend and hold true to my morals.easy eh??

Nevyn

Kell wrote:

Remember you create your own reality. Its píssing rain today - most of the country is going "the weather is crap and I am in a bad mood because of it". I am celebrating. The world looks fine to me.

I like the rain, and look gleefully forward to the end of summer and the
chill of Autumn.

Ideals are wonderful to aspire to.
We should all have them and aspire to them, but we don't live in an ideal world.
And we have to learn in the world and live with oursleves and the choices
and comprimises we have to make to do so.

nobodythere

Maturity is a scar of your dying youth.

Keep your ideals. I'd rather die as a failed dreamer than live in Dilbertland