Idealism and Pragmatism

Idealism often gives us enough hope to actually want to be alive. Whereas Pragmatism actually keeps us alive. When I grew up women tended to be idealistic and men tended to be pragmatic. If you don't have both you don't stay alive. Men who are only pragmatic have no hope and so often drink themselves to death or die in various other ways. Women who are only idealistic tend to trust the wrong religions, people, etc. (Of course this is not today a gender issue because these problems both then and now are the problems of both both genders and everything in between.

I was talking to friends last night on our way home. We had just seen "The Lone Ranger" with Johnny Depp as Tonto. It was an incredibly funny and sophisticated movie and yet paradoxically it also in some ways was like watching a comedic version of all the wild west shows you ever watched as a kid growing up in the 1950s and 1960s.

I think the most important concept brought up in the movie is "idealism versus pragmatism". Often when people are young they are very idealistic. But sooner or later (if you actually are going to physically and mentally survive your life) you must become pragmatic enough to actually survive your life.

For example, I had to go beyond dualism (which is completely childish) if you actually think much about it. Things in life are NOT absolute good or absolute bad unless you are a child waiting for the boogieman to come out and get you from under your bed.

For example, even most criminals aren't intrinsically bad unless they are insane. I  counseled juvenile offenders in the 1990s and found out a lot more about the "Criminal Mind". These boys were all 12 to 17 years of age in the San Jose Area. And what I realized the most common things they shared were that there was NO ONE THEY COULD TRUST growing up. So, most of their attitudes were something like, "I'm calling you an "MF" to your face to maybe scare you off or maybe you might be a friend that I can trust. So, meeting them was sort of like having a young person swear at you(they knew that if they became violent with Counselors or law they would have to go to CYA from which many knew they either wouldn't ever live through or would be made someone's physical bitch.

So, they were not going to physically harm you but they might harm each other. And the harm was usually age related. (The oldest smartest and biggest were dominant) even in the situation where I was trying to save 25%. So, my job was basically to "SAVE" the 25% who hadn't already become so alienated from normal society that they were dedicated criminals now for life.

The ones I could "SAVE" had hope. They had idealism. They hadn't used so much alcohol or drugs to the point where their minds didn't work right anymore because their brains chemical balance hadn't been altered to the point where they likely couldn't be saved (at least at that point in their lives).

What often saves boys in their 20s after serving time in prison is a good woman. This is the only thing I have seen that can save them. And then sometimes religions save them to from a life of crime. The rest die easily or miserably by police, each other, car accidents, drug overdoses. But, if I was to tell you what they are really dying from it would be pragmatism without hope of any kind.

So, idealism (a practical form) is necessary to become a law abiding citizen and to be successful in life. But along with this pragmatism (the ability to do whatever it takes to succeed and stay alive) is also important.

IT isn't just physical toughness that keeps people alive, it is having compassion for oneself and others. This is what actually keeps people alive long term.