Idealism is the belief that reality is a mental construct that bends to one’s wishful thoughts or ideas. It is the assertion about how things should be rather than what actually it is. Those who engage in idealism assume that existence is supposed to change in accordance to one’s wishful thinking. They believe the mind itself is the fundamental reality and that the physical world is just an after-product of the mind.
However, existence favors realism over idealism. Existence is manifested by what’s actual and doable rather than what’s imaginary and wishful. Existence exists outside of the mind, not within it. Existence follows its own program; it does not conform to personal wish fulfillment.
Realism is real. Idealism is not.
Much of our suffering comes from the choice to invest in idealism instead of realism, making us vulnerable to the painful impact of realism when it hits us with harsh contradictions against our expectations, setting a mental challenge where we struggle in vain to justify our irrational beliefs.
The obsession with idealism has noticeably gotten out of control. Evidence based truths are being dismissed in favor of self-validating conspiracy theories. The boredom of a purposeless existence has driven people to seek addictive distractions in order to avoid the undesirable truth of living meaningless life that has no direction beyond selfish impulses. A growing amount of people are displaying that they are becoming weaker and weaker at being able to tolerate undesirable realism. In fact, culture as it exists has redefined “respect” to mean subordination towards the one’s demands to have its personal ideals placated. Compare this to the more rational definition of “respect” being along the lines of recognizing and acknowledging the truth of one’s identity regardless of its desirability.
Realism, specifically undesirable realism, is being suppressed in favor of the anti-realism propaganda that is idealism. Society has normalized the use of idealism to cover up realism. When you introduce yourself to others, you emphasize your ideals: accomplishments, hobbies, interests, things that are socially acceptable. When you interview for a job, you emphasize your ideals. When you go on a date, you emphasize your ideals. When you are selling a product, you emphasize its ideals. Idealism covers up realism. Realism dictates vulnerabilities, life-changing trauma, inadequacies, weakness and intolerances.
Culture demands the placation of one’s ideals. However, this presents an issue: it moves the goal post. Once an ideal becomes real, it no longer feels desirable. A new ideal would be set outside the bounds of realism so that people can have something else to chase after with a subconscious understanding that it cannot be acquired. This is how desiring works. This is how wanting works.
As long as idealism dominates society, truths will be discarded. Lies will spread to promote wish fulfillment. People will distract themselves, chasing unobtainable goals that lie beyond realism, in order to avoid having to recognize the hard existential purposelessness that defines their lives.