12 April 2007

Dreaming of Reality... Foolhardy?

A couple of weeks ago, a friend and I were discussing optimism, pessimism, and realism. After thinking about this for nearly two weeks, I realized that none of these really fit me. I think I am more of a dreamer.

I often let my mind wander through "what-if" scenarios. These scenarios can range from international events to events in my own life. This might explain why I like alternative history novels!

In all honesty, as a dreamer, I have aspects of optimism, pessimism, and realism. There are probably three scenarios that I have thought out over and over again. These fit both optimism and pessimism.
  1. Future Career Moves. i.e. moving up in the SD DOT, starting my own consulting firm.
  2. A new dark age.
  3. Starting my own pub/restuarant.
I can't do too much on my own about the first two... or at least not in the near future. But I have actually put some decent thoughts into the pub idea. Maybe in the next 10 years, I'll finally get ambitious about it! But first, I should get a house...

I should have mentioned this earlier: According to Answers.com,
A person inclined to be imaginative or idealistic but impractical: idealist, utopian, visionary. Seeability/inability, hope/despair.
I do not fit this definition to a "T". I am a dreamer away from work, but at work (and at school) I was very studious and ambitious. I have some how managed to be a practical dreamer... or at least to be practical with my education, career, and finances, while letting my 'dreamer' side take over my 'me' time.

6 comments:

Andy said...

So you're not a Tell Tale Dreamer?

Patrick Wellner said...

Wow. Additional thought: my line between dreamer and practical/ realist (or whatever) is very much like my fav quote... "There's folly and foolhardiness on one side and daring and calculation on the other."

Josh Millard said...

Hey... nothing wrong with being a dreamer. Just don't let your dreams come haunt you or even drive you to the brink of insanity. Case and point... I am still unemployed, working towards a masters in one degree, and picking up a bachelors in another.

Andy said...

I agree...nothing wrong with being a dreamer. I have dreams myself. Fortunately/Unfortunately, my pragmatic side typically stomps all over my dreamer side.

Arnold said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Arnold said...

Obviously I don't think we can ultimately be defined by tricky labels and categories, although they are sometimes useful. I do believe humans are in a constant state of flux, and a "realist" one day can be an "idealist" the next and vice versa depending on circumstances. Also, throw a dreamer into the Alaskan wilderness naked and alone and see some good old pragmatism assert itself in that brain of his/hers. People of wisdom will find the middle way in which "pragmatist"/"dreamer-ist" behaviors are exhibited in the right place at the right time.

As for dreams, I think they're just as tricky of concepts as labels. I'm of the school of Careful What You Wish For. There are exceptions, but usually what you think you want ends up not like you pictured or even not what you really want after all.