Many people admire idealism, but it usually leads to disappointment or trouble

Admiring is one thing, but following it with discipline is another. What people lack is not the thought process, but how to implement their thoughts and bring them to reality. Many people have perished without even trying to bridge the gap between their ideals and their practices, between their dreams and reality. And a few others have tried but in vain, but history remembers only those who had succeeded. Those select people had the power to transform their thoughts and integrate those to their daily walks of life. The main problem with idealism is that when people cannot think of ideals that they can follow in principle. If a student who is below average wants to top the class plans to study everything in overnight and be the best, that is not going to happen however determined he or she is. But on the other hand another student plans to get to the top in the span of a year, that is clear thinking. There are basically two important things that people need to understand and get clear about. First they need to set proper ideals and secondly follow them with zeal and discipline. As always easier said than done. The above case was a vivid example of the problems people have had with the first point. There have also been cases where many have faltered during the second process. They set very good ideals, but hardly have the determination to follow them persistently. This is very hard to set right, while the earlier one just needs a proper insight into how the student needs to go about following his ideals. But with what I have seen so far, people have had more trouble with the latter than the first one. Everyone sets his ideals right, but miss out trying to pursue them. Another important issue to be addressed in this regard is how far can one stick to his ideals. For instance, if there is someone who does not lie, how far can he keep himself to do his bidding. He may strictly adhere to his principles in day to day life, which is by no means a mean task. But what will he do when he is really tested. If there is a guy who has seen his friend commit a crime for which he will be hanged if proven guilty. And in a court, when he is asked to testify, will he be able to keep up his principle and not lie and send his friend to the chair? Tough ask. For anything and everything there is a limiting factor or the breaking point as it is called more popularly. So as in innocent until proven guilty, idealism will work until it has met its test of character. The real question then changes to how long can one push himself to thread the path of determination. The longer we go, farther we go from disappointing others and more importantly ourselves. The simple fact that people have seen more disappointments is because they dont have the courage to continue beyond the limit they can go. Some give in way to easily than others. Very few have the determination to go through with their ideals and have had some luck so that they were never put to test beyond what they can bear. Hence, idealism does lead to disappointment or trouble. But people must also get to learn to go past disappointments and more importantly learn from all that so that they can still stretch themselves a yard further.