It’s real easy at times to get caught up in ideals and positivity. The truth is constant idealism isn’t sustainable. We all love to hate that eternally peppy person who’s up at the crack of dawn smiling brightly and chatting about how grand life is. I’d personally like to smack anyone like that (but I don’t … I’m too groggy and my aim sucks donkey balls at 7 am). But even the peppiest person in the world is going to crash sometimes. They’re just better at hiding it.
There are days when you feel like you are on top of the world and there are days when you feel like everyone is out to get you. I’m no exception. Fortunately for me, I have far more of the former days. And I think that’s what counts. I think it counts when you believe in yourself no matter what kind of day you’re having.
The problem is it’s easier to believe in anything but yourself. That’s right: even the proclaimed cynics are firm in their belief that the world is a cruel joke. But to believe in yourself? If it were so easy to believe in yourself, there wouldn’t be any miserable people in the world.
No, it’s hard as hell. But it’s the only way to begin to create a life worth living.
All of this makes me question if true idealism exists. On the opposite end of the spectrum, I am skeptical that there are any true cynics. I refuse to believe there’s anyone out there who doesn’t have a dream. Irony aside, we are all idealists and cynics at the same time.
Maybe we should ditch the extra labels because, honestly, the only label that applies here is human.
*I’d like to thank Jenny Blake for inspiring this post today. Thank you and keep on keeping on.
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{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks for that, really nice post. Great to see some introspection going on.
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Hey, Clément. Thanks for dropping by, glad you liked the post.
Humans have so many labels, I often times wonder why we assume we fit just one in a paticular category…
Idealism is possible if your ideals mean more to you than your own life, happiness, and personal desires. Many people talk to talk but dont walk the walk in this area, but nonetheless, to commit fully to your ideal is possible and often times a trend amonst some influential leaders.
Life is a roller coaster though…full of ups and downs…but I definatly think no one is perky 24/7.
But the question that linger is that is it such a bad thing to be selfless? To focus soley on making your surroundings better and not on internal goals? For some, sacrificing and dedicating their life to others works for them and they'd prefer not to chase their own happiness (or dont really have a choice).
Some people's happiness is tied into the postive effect that have on the people and things around them, so they let go of what they want… I mean, if you were a STAR WARS fan, i could explain it a little better, but hey, no one's perfect…..
I refuse to believe that human beings can stick to one label forever and ever. Just like Republicans are never 100% Republican in their beliefs and the same for Democrats, no matter what anyone tells you. Feelings, opinions, goals, and even personalities fluctuate. Nothing is static. The same applies to idealism and cynicism.
There's nothing wrong with being selfless, but here's the problem. If you don't take care of yourself every now and then, then you won't be around long enough to continue with your selfless acts. So yes, a little (positive) selfishness is a necessary part of being selfless. It's all about balance. Some people really are selfless but when they forget to take care of themselves, they become martyrs and there's nothing selfless about that, in my opinion. It's just selfishness in a negative form. Why? Because it's your ego at work saying you can't quit because of (insert lie or excuse here).
You just had to throw Star Wars in there, eh? I was just waiting for it.
Allow me to educate my little Star Trek Fan…
In star wars, Jedi lived a self-less lifestlye…only think of others…no family, no friends…just the job of protecting the galaxy and blah blah blah…. There super powers are fueled by their desire to help others…
The exact opposite is their enemy, the sith. They have Jedi powers also but rely on their inner strength to fuel their power….they only think of themselves and do what they think is best.
Now in real life, things ae that black and white….no exact good and evil…..its been argued that evil doesn't even really exsist, only ignorance…
But in real life, a little bit of both sides (Jedi And Sith) is needed to be successful in standing for your ideals. But its possible to be one or the other as well.