Skip to main content

Idealism? No: creativity.

I used to think I was a realist. Santa didn't exist, friends wouldn't last, and money meant success. But sometime between my childhood and now, this cynicism turned into idealism. While I am yet to believe that there exists a man with a belly too large to fit a chimney and can travel the world in a single night, now, I reject these remaining "universal truths." Call me an idealist, but I prefer to think of myself as a creator of possibilities.

One of my greatest ideals lies in people. Although the infamous Golden Rule--treat others the way you want to be treated--was one I never believed in, I subconsciously started applying it to my relationships more recently. Because I surround myself with people whose presence I genuinely enjoy, doubts about whether they feel the same for me never occur. Why should I doubt their actions and intentions? Of course, many friendships fail as a result of a variety of seemingly uncontrollable factors. But, what friendship would succeed when even its involved parties don't believe in it? (Beyond friendships, do prenups set a precursor for divorce? I'll figure that out in fifteen years.)

The other is in the world. Yes, I am aware of the millions of political, social, and economical flaws that hold us back from complete peace; but to think that our regression toward Earth's destruction cannot be reversed is cowardly. Why not pursue net zero emissions? This simple question leads me to doubt and simultaneous reaffirmation: A couple weeks ago I told my uncle that I want to major in Urban Studies. And in response, he told me he would add me to his will. As much as I worry that I won't be able to afford the lifestyle I dream of with whatever job Urban Studies can get me, I know this lifestyle would much better match my expectations if the globe didn't lie in ruins. 

Looking back on who I was as a child, I realize that I wasn't a realist, but a pessimist. Why give up on the best by labeling dreams as unattainable?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Gray Area

As we discuss the roles of pictures and words in conveying a story, I become mildly conflicted in several aspects. First, and most obviously, which one does the better job? To me, both forms of storytelling allow for creativity and personal thought. But, while writing is both specific and yet very imagination-based, illustrations tend to be only the latter. A drawing calls for "broader topics" (McCloud 815) of assumptions. And while that may be seen as a good thing, I see it as a source of miscommunication. Because images are open to so many different interpretations, often, the author's intended meaning is not truly understood. Similarly, I regularly find myself wondering if, as readers, we also look too much into the text and find meaning when the author actually had none. What if the author didn't really have a specific theme in mind and just wanted to write an amusing story? Of course, I may just be too simple-minded and unqualified, but I find myself doubting t...
7 comments
Read more

Never Let Anyone Dull your Sparkle! (unless you're the 1920s)

Knowing that the Great Gatsby is set in the 1920s, I had been looking forward to reading the book for so long. This decade has always fascinated me because of its creation of a new society, which--for the first time in history--is relatable to ours. In my perspective, before the 1920s, history was bleak, the human lifestyle seemed near archaic, and nothing was the slightest bit comparable to the twenty-first century. But at the turn of a new decade, Roaring Twenties brought along the "New Woman" and the birth of mass culture, including a surge of trends and technology. A curtain for my car window? Of course, I'll buy it! However, in the Great Gatsby , I seemed to have forgotten that the book I was reading was about my favorite decade! Where's the excitement and innovation? Why aren't advertisements for the Model-T being shoved in my face? Needless to say, I was underwhelmed! But I don't think I was alone in thinking this. In fact, Fitzgerald's mess...
7 comments
Read more

New Rules...

Rules. They're a set of regulations that we abide by daily. They're meant to create organization, civil conduct, and improvement among society. And it's necessary to enforce these rules so that order and integrity are ensured. But somewhere along the way of enforcing and following these rules, the purpose behind making them has been forgotten. At school, tardies exist to ensure that students are present for the lesson. But when you step into the classroom 30 seconds late (because of the terrible traffic leading up to the school campus), a mere four days of the ten weeks of a quarter, you are expected to spend several hours sitting idly for detention. The advisors tell you, "this will teach you to be punctual." But does it really make sense to be punished for multiple hours for missing a grand total of two minutes of your first period where class hasn't even really begun? Or when your teacher plays a movie because the school year is practically over, and yo...
8 comments
Read more