Idealism x Reality

A glimpse of idea that popped up in my head when this term came up was basically the simulation game I used to play in high school, The Sims. A simple yet meaningful games that also a great example of what I want to share in here.

In that game, features that similar to our daily activities are encoded in computer languages which turns three dimensional graphics to can be controlled by the players. Indirectly saying, these features are the system which run the game.

A feature that I like was the aging mode. So basically your sim (character) could gain ages and died when they are old or sick or get killed and such. One of the stages was to be ‘young adult’. In that game too, the young adult are the ones who is penultimate or final year student in a university and will enter the real world soon. This issue, I could relate.

Me as a Young Adult

I am now almost 21 years old (have birthday in October!), also a final year undergraduate accounting student in a decent university. I realized that what I am now is a development of personality in what I had been through in latter years, especially those years in junior until high school. I attended an all girls school for six years that being nurtured by nun as the headmaster. What she and the teachers tried to nurtured in us were values and characters. These became my foundation of what I am today that believe in integrity and honesty. I also grow into a warm yet kind-hearted person as to always think of others equally too. Boldly saying, these are ideals. I think of the ideals. I became a young girl that brave enough to do things I believe, to achieve what I want to be, and to aim any goals I set. Me and my friends are girls who have big dreams and big hearts.

An idealism this strong given us a chance to be a specific yet unique individual that strives for dignity and freedom of choices in each person life. What the nun and teachers guided are working extremely well for years in many generations of the graduates. These idealism then become characters and these characters grow principles that being held firmly by the graduates. But little did we know, in the real world, idealism sometimes crashes with reality. It could work nicely together but balancing both of them needs time.

The Clash of Thoughts

In the Sims, it was run by the features which encoded by some computer languages. In the real world, it works that way too. We have systems that guided us.

While playing the Sims, sometimes, the player actually converted their thoughts on how the character should be by using the features given. These thoughts could be their idealism of how life should be. These idealism were their dreams, or hopes, or actually beliefs which sometimes don’t work well with reality. In the real world, the society grow their own social rules which work differently in different community and country. That’s why, sometimes we heard a term saying that, “Life is unfair”.

Hence, the clash between idealism and reality made some people do contemplation in the middle of searching what they want to believe or do. This more likely to happen with the young adults. They finally realized the clash can’t be denied nor run away from — because, there’s already a system in the society.

It is a path of life on how it normally works, and how it magically will turned into habits that become ordinary.

For example, at least in Indonesia, it’s common to describe the path of life with this pattern:

graduate and have degree with decent GPA — fully employed in decent and proper firm while have a relationship with someone — settled with him/her and get engaged — get marriage — have children — work some more — save money in short or long term investment — see your kids grow up until you have grandchildren — retire while taking medicines because of illness — rest in peace and return to unite with God.

Was this ideal, though?

For some, it does! It really does because that what others do and what others do are actually living their life. But for others, it doesn’t. Because, they have their own freedom of choosing what kind of life they want to have and be. With that only, makes a simple conclusion of no specific patterns that they should choose.

Well,

For me, you just have to balance the two principles; idealism and reality.

It might crashed in a way or two, that’s how the term, “Life is a series of ups and downs” works. You still have to stand in what you belief, your idealism, which in my part are integrity and honesty. But, you also have to make sure that you still bring your beliefs in the real world that consisted of many good things and many bad things — which is why you should reject it if it is bad. Life is a unity of people habits anyway, and it is led by a system which implemented by regulators either in a community or a company or a country. Hence, if the idealism doesn’t work, you’ve gotta find what makes it doesn’t work and why. If reality hits your idealism, you have to think wisely on what it should really be. Could it just need to be adjusted or was it us that need to adapt with it?

I leave this thought in here while your thought in yours.

Growing up is a matter of realizing that your idealism might not work in the society which is exactly the reality that you face with. You don’t have to be scared with it because it’s a process that makes you an adult, which means to be responsible with what you believe and do. Please remember that it is natural for us to think about a lot of things in our early 20s. What happened in the past makes us today and that should be cherished well. Therefore, while growing up, try to cherished and accept what you are. This is important.

Thanks to the best girl friends I could ever have in my life that shared me a lot of valuable lessons yesterday in our first reunion after year(s). Love you all lots and tons.

This post is dedicated to you guys, my brave girls who are brave enough to choose what you want to be and be what you are today.

Jakarta,

September 2016.