August 20 2012 Do Idealists Contribute More to the World Than Realists Do?

In 1876, people would have never imagined anything like modern technology. However, who could have guessed that something amazing would be invented three years later? Thomas Edison invented the first actual working light bulb on October 22, 1879. Before this, most people would have thought his invention was impossible to realize. From the 1880’s and on, other inventions people thought near to impossible emerged. Nevertheless, I think that inventors received no respect before they created things. They imagined the world with their creation and people thought them crazy, imagining something that was never going to happen. This still happens today and we can ask ourselves, do idealists contribute more to the world than realists do?

If there were a time machine, I think a few scientists would be willing to travel back to the time of cavemen. Finding some way to translate for themselves, they would probably ask the aboriginals if they ever imagined how the world was going to look like in the 21st century. If I were one of those scientists, I would show them a smartphone, air conditioner, vacuum cleaner, and a heater to see their reaction. They would most likely be quite shocked and amazed. Most cave men and women would never have thought about eating at the table, sitting on a couch, listening to recorded music, or chatting through a computer. This shows us how much the world has developed since cavemen existed.

Nowadays, flying from Korea to China isn’t much of a shock. However, in the 1890’s, most people would have thought it impossible for a human being to fly. Such was the case until 1903, when the Wright brothers proved them wrong. They were the first humans to fly in this whole world, having built the first airplane. Today, when we see one, it isn’t be much of a surprise. If we saw it in 1903, we would have been as greatly surprised as a caveman seeing the modern world for the first time. However, what would people have thought when the Wright brothers told them that they were going to be the first ones to fly? It would be like your friend saying he was going to be the first one to reach the moon without a rocket. We would probably think that they were crazy and tell them that it would be impossible no matter how much they tried. However, in a thousand years, what if people think that going to the moon in less than five minutes is normal?

Overall, we do need both realists and idealists in this world. This is because we need those who face reality as well as those who try to make things possible and imagine the world in the 39th century. Both can contribute to the world equally.