In the real world, the question about the benefits of realism seems rather strange. At first glance, the answer seems obvious. Of course, this is a very important personality quality. Such people evaluate life more objectively and, accordingly, 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 disadvantages. So what are its pros and cons? Is it difficult for people with this type of personality to live? Is it worth raising your child to be a realist? Let's talk about this topic without unnecessary idealism.
This is a realist
People are accustomed to dividing each other into optimists and pessimists. Therefore, not everyone knows who a realist is. There are several definitions, for example, psychological, philosophical and others. Simple common sense, subjectivity of opinion and a number of other positive and negative qualities determine this phenomenon.
Note! Realism is often compared with idealism, asking which of these human characteristics is better.
However, one cannot compare certain character traits, since they make a personality out of an individual. In any case, a person has his own advantages and disadvantages, regardless of what qualities he possesses.
Philosophy about realism
The definition of realism in philosophy has no clear boundaries:
- According to the direction of scholasticism, this term denotes real-life concepts: man, tree, house.
- Realism is contrasted with mysticism (emotional worldview).
- English philosophy gives this meaning certainty, believing that realistic concepts are the truth, the rest is false metaphysics.
- The philosophy of the 20th century defines this term as the correspondence of theories to facts.
Europeans gave realism an evaluative character, meaning "good", although the rating varied depending on the opinion of the person evaluating it. In addition, “realism” described non-European philosophical concepts, but from a European point of view.
Interpretation in psychology
In psychology, a lot of information is devoted to what a realist means. The term has a clear definition, which states that a realist is a person who evaluates events and phenomena occurring around him subjectively, that is, including personal opinion and attitude. It is believed that a person who has predominant realism as a character trait is better oriented in life situations. Such people do not engage in self-deception, do not harbor illusions, and are accurate in their judgments.
Note! Realism has more or less clear boundaries of character. It is not necessary for a person inclined to realism to be stern and impartial. There are those who rely on facts and logic. There are also representatives who are characterized by skepticism.
There is a fine line with skepticism
Who is an optimist?
An optimist is a person who focuses only on the positive aspects of current events and the life around him. That is, of all possible solutions, he will prefer the more successful and positive ones, that is, those that, in his opinion, make the world or life even more beautiful.
This type of personality is often presented as the most successful. However, this is not quite true. I'll give you the pros and cons.
The benefits of optimism
1. It is easier to cope with problems, since there are many positive factors that are a good foundation.
2. Less susceptible to stressful situations. Having a lot of positivity in life counteracts the accumulation of destructive emotions.
3. Focuses on the benefits and advantages. That is, at a minimum, he can see those favorable decisions and approaches that others simply do not notice.
Disadvantages of optimism
1. More open, as the initial idea of positivity advocates having open dialogues more often. And in practice this can be a disadvantage, since it is much easier to learn information from an open person than from a closed one.
2. Optimism can border on fantasy. Positive emotions are good, but too much of them can easily lead to problems.
3. May be poor at assessing real risks. Since a person tries to use bad emotions as little as possible or think about things in a negative way, he simply may not understand them well. And, as a result, do not evaluate the entire range of risks or their real significance with probability.
As you can see, it is impossible to say for sure that this approach will always be the best.
The difference between a realist and an idealist
Misanthrope - what does it mean, who is he?
It is worth noting who an idealist is and his differences from a realist. An idealist has a habit of embellishing certain events. Having met a person, he will give him non-existent positive character traits, excessive kindness, care and other qualities. A realist would be more likely to wait for evidence of such positive characteristics of a new acquaintance.
People with such contradictory character traits may have similar concepts, for example, about lying - lying is bad. However, realists understand that sometimes it is impossible to do without deception, when, like idealists, they are confident that lying is always a bad option.
To summarize, the idealist believes in the idea itself. A realist will believe in it only when he sees the results.
Types of realists
Phlegmatic - who is he, brief description
People with a realistic personality type have the traits of an optimist or a pessimist. Much depends on the life experience of one or another representative of this character trait.
Note! We can say about such a person that he sees the world around him the way he wants to see it, despite his optimism or pessimism.
Individuals with this characteristic can be divided into 3 types:
- Naive. Based on logic, facts, common sense.
- Scientific. Has a reasonable belief about some fact, along with a personal opinion.
- Critical. Closer to the idealist, since he admits the idea that some ideas may be erroneous.
Tip #6: Don’t focus on just one negative thing.
Of course, noticing any negative moment in your life, it is very difficult to stop focusing on it or simply forget about it somehow. Therefore, you don’t need to focus only on negative moments so that they don’t fill your whole life. Remember that if you constantly focus your attention only on purely negative aspects, then it will be quite difficult for you to improve your life.
How to recognize a realist
Optimist - who is he?
A realist is a person who is confident in himself, has an unshakable opinion, he knows what he wants and how to get it. In the process of communication, he does not use expressions like “maybe”, “probably”, he allows himself to inform others about his capabilities regarding this or that phenomenon, excluding unnecessary fantasies and speculation.
The questions of who a woman realist is and what a man realist is require special attention.
Straightforwardness, rigor, loyalty and responsibility are the traits of a realist. Sometimes she is overly serious, but this makes her an irreplaceable, sympathetic friend. Men of the same character are usually pragmatists, they have developed strategy and practicality. They know the value of actions and things, the main thing is that they are not afraid of responsibility.
Responsibility as a positive quality
Realism and romance in literature and art
Realism as a direction in art and visual creativity. He considers his goal to be the reproduction of the surrounding reality as close as possible to its natural beginning. The more precise, the higher the value of the masterpiece.
Despite the photographic nature of the effect, in this direction one can always read the position of the author: the place, the conditions of “lighting”, the position and individuality of the author. It is in this part that the work becomes a masterpiece of art. A realist is a master of presenting material.
Romanticism, due to the illusory nature of reality, at the cost of an ideal vision, achieves value precisely in the falsity of the perception of the environment. But this untruth reveals reality as an ideal possibility of “being.” This is the essence of the development of the artistic form of romanticism and its value. Therefore, it can be said that both the realist and the romantic bring value through their level of personal mastery in the process of comprehending the real world.
Is it good or bad to be realistic?
There is no clear answer to this question; we can only highlight the positive and negative qualities of this characteristic. The advantages include a high level of responsibility. A person is capable of leadership because he is not afraid to make decisions. He is able to harmoniously establish life and career.
There are some shortcomings, including down-to-earthness, inability, and reluctance to dream or give free rein to the imagination. Not many people like to communicate with such a laconic interlocutor, from whom they have to forcefully extract information. In addition, realists are considered to be conservative. Abrupt changes are alien to them, incl. openings, relocations. They might be called boring.
Features of communication with a realist
Having discovered that the interlocutor turned out to be a realist, you should not think that there should be a special attitude towards him. There is no point in arguing with such a person; you cannot impose your point of view on him if it does not coincide with the worldview of this realist. The main thing is not to burden him with empty talk. However, in close relationships, realists are trusting and value mutual understanding and comfort.
You should not expect from him all sorts of dramatic scenes with a showdown, as well as pleasant sudden surprises. This is a stable, constant and reliable person.
Who is a pessimist?
A pessimist is a person who focuses on everything negative, from current events to possible outcomes. That is, in part he can be called the opposite of an optimist.
Often this type is considered the worst of all, since such people are more gloomy and renounced. However, where there are disadvantages, there are also advantages. I'll give you a few.
The benefits of pessimism
1. Often assesses real risks better. If you have a good understanding of negative things, then naturally you can better evaluate them in terms of damage and likelihood. And it’s also easy to detect those types of risks that others will not pay attention to.
2. More closed type. Pessimism and negative thinking initially imply as little information transfer or dialogue as possible. In practice, this can be very useful, because it is difficult to learn anything from a pessimist. In addition, time is not wasted on idle chatter.
3. A stable approach to life. If you often think about the negative, then, accordingly, you are more often ready for it. So, such people almost always have at least a financial cushion, they are less likely to encounter unforeseen problems (“adventures”), they have already prepared various plans A (B, C, D, and so on) for many situations.
Disadvantages of pessimism
1. Focuses on negative options and solutions. Because of this, it can be easy to miss a favorable opportunity or not see all the advantages.
2. Pessimism can be carried to the point of absurdity. In principle, similar to optimism. A large amount of negativity can also create problems.
3. May be less able to cope with problems and be more susceptible to stress. It is not difficult to guess that everything happens due to the fact that there is not enough positive emotions to compensate for the negative ones.
As you can see, this view of life also has a dual character. In addition, it is worth understanding that there are simply myths. So, pessimists also know how to laugh and have fun, they just pay attention to the negative more often.
How to raise a realistic child
Realists are not born. This quality is acquired over time and with experience. Although this trait can be cultivated from childhood, it should be observed in moderation. It is important for a child to develop harmoniously; fantasy is an integral stage of childhood and subsequent development. Thus, observing excessive idealism, children are gently lowered “from heaven to earth.”
There is a lot of debate about who this realist is, what kind of person he is. Some people consider such people to be boring and cold, unable to show emotions. At the same time, they are worthy leaders who confidently pursue goals. However, one cannot be so critical of realists, since they always have mixed character traits; their shortcomings are usually compensated for by other advantages.
