Idealistic? Practical?

“To live is to find out for yourself what is true. And you can do this only when you find truth. When you find continuous revolution within yourself.”

            “Idealistic.” The group’s response to my question was abrupt and shocking. It was a question that had been asked frequently that day: “Am I idealistic or practical?” The response I received confused me and I couldn’t quite understand why my perception of myself and others’ perception of me don’t align.

            I feel like a practical person. I have strong ideals and values, but I feel grounded with scale and reasoning. I look for action and solution. I value the things that people do much more than the things that they say. I’m a very strong critic towards talking and complaining with no action. My mindset is geared towards action and solutions over impossible promises. My belief in practicality shapes my political opinions, my problem-solving strategies, and my mindset towards important issues that face my communities.

            However, I apparently don’t come across as I think I do. An entire group that knows me well firmly believes that I am an idealistic person. I value that opinion; however, I am not yet sure whether the disconnect lies in the notion that I don’t fully understand my own mindset or whether I express my mindset inaccurately.

            Maybe I portray my optimism as far-fetched desires. Maybe I come off as unrealistic with my hopeful beliefs. Maybe I don’t accurately express my beliefs in the way I want. Maybe I don’t articulate my thoughts in the same way that I think them.

Or maybe I don’t understand myself as well as I think.

--Shyan