In the real world, the question of the benefits of realism looks rather strange. At first glance, the answer seems obvious. Of course - this is a very important quality of personality. Such people objectively evaluate life, respectively, are better oriented in it. But truth, as a rule, avoids extremes. A realist, of course, has advantages over an idealist, but he is not immune from shortcomings. So what are its pros and cons? Is it difficult for people to live with this type of person? Is it worth raising a realist for your child? Let's talk on this subject without too much idealism.
Who is a realist?
A realist is a person who objectively assesses the events. It is characterized by pragmatism, sanity, prudence. He is unlikely to receive fame dreamer and inventor. And you should not think that a realist cannot be an optimist. Simply, for this type of thinking he needs more arguments than an idealist.
Realists, as a rule, avoid fantasies and subjectivity.
They adhere to the principles of objective perception of the world. It should be borne in mind that there are several types of realism that may differ markedly from each other. We will discuss this classification further.
Types of Realists
A realist may be prone to optimism or pessimism. In fact, this is the main classification of this type of personality. People are not robots, therefore any situation is assessed through the prism of their experience and worldview. Even the most complete realist sees the world, how he wants to see him. Here it is appropriate to draw a parallel with a fly and a bee. Both are not inclined to dream, just the first draws attention to the garbage, and the second to the flower meadows. And you can't call them idealists. Each goal is more than pragmatic - food and survival.
Depending on upbringing and life experience, realists may somewhat “exaggerate” or “dilute” them with their confidence in success. From this they do not become idealists. Just realistically assess their capabilities, trying to predict the possible outcome of upcoming events. Or simply interpret the situation, based on personal beliefs. For example, the wife left the man for another. One will say that she was lucky for her new chosen one. Another will express the opinion that this is luck for the former. In fact, both realists simply interpreted the event in different ways.
Philosophers have created a more complex classification of realism, which belongs more to the sphere of knowledge than to psychology:
- Naive - based on logic and common sense;
- Scientific - studies objective truth without denying the subjective role of the researcher in the creation of theories;
- Critical - admits the fallacy of ideas about the world.
Although this division is more concerned with science than the domestic sphere, parallels can be drawn with the behavior of ordinary people. Some realists absolutize their knowledge and experience. Others admit the possibility of erroneous perception. Still others are generally skeptical about everything that is happening. At the same time they are quite easy to identify among the interlocutors.
How to recognize a realist?
Realist create the impression of a sincere, open and confident person. You can determine it quickly enough, after the first debriefing, or planning. A realist avoids long, overly emotional and abstract conversations.
Most often, this type of personality is straightforward, concrete, concise. You seldom hear from him "it seems to me", "maybe", "probably", etc. He does not need to think out, because there are objective facts. In any case, as objective as it allows to assess the human mind.
A realist does not like to direct his energy into speculation or fantasy. He is attracted by current affairs, urgent tasks and the constructive side of events. Therefore, a conversation with this type of people has a more mundane character. Good or bad, difficult to judge, because in a particular situation, this approach may have specific advantages or disadvantages. We will talk about all the pros and cons of realists in the next section.
Good or bad to be a realist?
In the material world, realism is associated with objectivity and impartiality. This statement is true, if you do not take into account the spiritual component of man. Otherwise, one will have to admit that subjective experiences are no less real than the surrounding reality. The more concrete the task, the more effective the realist becomes in solving it. But when it comes to the spiritual realm and the power of thought, idealists break far ahead. Let us examine these cases separately.
The advantages of realists
In those areas of life where cold calculation and balanced decisions are necessary, realists are ahead of other personality types. Subjective assessments are so alien to them that it seems that they are like mirrors reflecting reality. This property is indispensable in the scientific, technical and industrial areas, where the artist’s excessive day-dreaming can lead to the most unexpected consequences. Suppose if ten milligrams of reagent are to be used, then it really needs to be measured in such quantity. Not "by eye" or "most likely", but really ten. In this realists have no equal.
Also, this type of people often takes on the role of leader or manager. This is not surprising, since the cold calculation of the realists helps them to assess the situation and make the most constructive decisions. Regardless of leadership roles, such people must be represented in any team, otherwise excessive idealism sometimes leads in the wrong direction. They are a kind of deterrent with which it is possible to achieve a "middle ground" between practicality and the flight of thought.
Realists often achieve great success in creating home comfort and establishing a domestic sphere. They understand that the crane cannot be repaired by itself, that a leaky roof will most likely flow towards winter, and that in the near future, clogged sewage systems will return to their owners everything that they are investing in it so generously. Therefore, realists, as a rule, have time to prevent possible damage, avoiding its aggravation. But do not think that this type of people is devoid of flaws, which we will discuss further.
Disadvantages of realists
Reluctance and inability to fantasize can play a cruel joke with any realist. Of course, a pragmatic view of the world is effective, but not in cases where you need to show ingenuity and creativity. This type of people is much less likely than idealists to become artists and writers. Reasoning with "mundane" standards, they are unlikely to create a cool advertisement for their products or services.
In addition, dry and concise communication type do not always like the interlocutorsespecially girls. As you know, they love the "ears", and sometimes the pretentious speech of some inventor can produce a greater effect than too logical arguments of a realist. In politics, the latter generally have nothing to do, since voters use "noodles" in quantities that are an order of magnitude larger than the most trusting girl.
But all this is minor compared to the real danger to the realists themselves. In a world in which the principle of feedback works, optimists often achieve much greater effect. This is because they believe in their success, while realists can “understand with their heads” that the chances are excessively small. It is unlikely that at least one realist will give up everything acquired in his city for the sake of an ephemeral opportunity to start everything from scratch elsewhere. There is little chance that any realist will make a grand scientific discovery. It was the dreamers who discovered America once, started exploring space and came up with the Internet. On the other hand, if it were not for the realists in their team, then all these discoveries might not have been realized, having broken about the harsh realities of the pragmatic world.
How to behave with a realist?
First of all, it is not necessary to load such a person with philosophy and speculative conclusions. When communicating with a realist, it is advisable to understand that facts and a clear statement of the idea are important to him. It is better when all this is supported by real life examples. For example, when offering a new advertising campaign to your business partner, which is notable for realism, you need to emphasize that such measures have already brought profit to someone. It is even better if specific figures are announced: how much was invested, how much was received, what kind of conversion, etc.
In a romantic relationship with a realist romance is not so much. More dialogue will be based on trust, understanding, comfort. This type of personality is not characterized by rash "heroic" actions with bursts of emotion. Everything is very simple and logical. If they fit together, they build relationships; if not, they forgive. Accordingly, in their early years, realists have a harder time compared to more dreamy peers, but the older they become, the more popular they become with the opposite sex.
How to educate a realist?
The child-realist is a rare phenomenon, since this quality is produced when the person is growing up. Of course, to teach a child the rules and laws of life is an important exercise, but not to the detriment of his imagination. A person must develop both hemispheres of the brain. Right is responsible for creativity. Left - for rational thinking. Creativity is no less important than logic. If you manage to combine both qualities, then such a person will be much easier to break through in life. So, intentionally killing the "spirit of creativity" is akin to a crime. But to stimulate the eternal "rose-colored glasses" is also not an option.
Total should be in moderation. Education in the spirit of the "golden mean" is one of the most correct approaches in working with children. Unless, of course, there is a task to grow a genius who either “breaks down” or “shoots”. There is no third. In all other cases, idealists should be a bit "landed", and realists, on the contrary, "run into the clouds." In this case, when both hemispheres develop harmoniously, a person combines the advantages of different types of thinking.
An unequivocal answer to the question "Is a realist good or bad?" does not exist. It all depends on the specific situation. In some moments, pragmatism gives advantages, while in others it causes inconvenience. Best of all, when this quality is balanced by a developed imagination, either your own or your partner. In this case, rational thinking helps to translate stormy ideas into reality. Thanks to this dualism, scientific discoveries are made, and their results are widely used in all possible areas of life.
