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Question: Is Idealism a competive advantage which all humans posses!?
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
You know, Marshall, that is an intriguing and interesting question you have come up with!. And it has many parts to it, so I'll just kind of muse along with you if that's all right!.

Idealism is definitely limited to the human race!. And the reason I make this assertion that is, though an animal may act out of "character" through love or neurosis or profound physiological disturbance, he does not reflect on his actions or build philosophical foundations for them which determine his subsequent actions!.
Human beings can, have, do, and will continue to just that!.

Does idealism lead to competitiveness!? Yes, of course!. Sometimes that can have good results, at least temporarily, but often idealism leads to harmful results!. I would suggest that some of the reasons for this is that idealism necessarily has a narrow focus and therefore has difficulty taking in the wider life context in which it must function!.
A lofty example is the "freedom of speech" we have in the U!.S!. This is an ideal, that no man should be persecuted or prosecuted for having his own opinions or convictions or "ideals"!. This was meant to protect people from such things as religious persecution or political persecution or from someone else's temper!. So far the ideal was advantantageous, not in terms of competition, but in terms of allowing men legitimate creative and ethical freedom!. That ideal becomes harmful when it is used to cover immoral,unethical, and criminal activities which do harm to other people!. Many people use this cover to compete in the world of business and the use can become extremely ugly, as when, for a blatant example, men use this freedom to create pornographic empires!.

The competition of ideals can lead to wars, such as the American Civil War to name an historical example, or to the unresolvalble conflict between the Arab Islamic racial ideal and the existence of Israel, a conflict which goes on despite the desire for peace of many on both sides of this conflict!.

Certainly idealism gives us a competitive advantage over the animals!. Whoever heard of a "MacGiraffe's" or a "Chuckie Woodchuck's" chain of restaurants, or "Jersey Cow"s ice cream shops!. Animals just don't do that!. They may mark out territory and become rivals of the humans in certain areas at certain times, but they are not consciously out to win a competition, and humans have the advantage of being able to think of ways to overcome the problems the animals create, even if we sometimes shoot ourselves in the foot!.

As for other humans, competitive advantages are always temporary, though they may last more than one lifetime!. And they are always fallible!.

Even such important ideals as "stewardship of the earth and it's resources" can become a travesty due to the very people who hold those ideals most dear!. Those who want the forests protected often expose those forests to more danger of being wiped out by fire because they will not allow the human management that would help protect them from fire, for instance!. The ideal is good and we certainly need trees and some companies certainly mismanaged and abused their sterwardship of tree plots, but the ideal of protection run rampant helps neither the trees nor humankind!.

Well, I've got to get back to my work, but thanks for thinking of this question, and I hope I've helped you along in your musing on this subject and that you'll come up with many more ideas on a complex and important subject!.

Hey Ho,

MaggieWww@QuestionHome@Com

I disagree!. I think Idealism is an honorable quality that anyone can possess until it clashes with a perspective a majority posseses!. Then it is defined in which way it is handled!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

He or she is or they are a person with not much purpose in life!.Www@QuestionHome@Com