Young and idealistic? | INFJ Forum

Young and idealistic?

Vex

Vex

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Sep 26, 2008
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As far as I have understood INFJs tend to be idealistic. When I talked to my dad of my dreams of helping people in the world and that I wouldn't mind putting myself into harm's way(ie the risk of getting killed) to help other people he said:
"You may be idealistic when you're young but at my age you'll be content with the things you have achieved". I thought it was silly but I let it go.

Yesterday when speaking to my friend (she's an ENFJ if it would matter:p) she told me that she instantly thought of me when she read this in The Catcher in the Rye"

“The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of a mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one”

I was pretty baffled because I could somehow understand what my Dad said.
The question is though, are we more prone to let our causes fade away the older we get alternatively approach them more realistically? Or are we still die hard idealists?
 
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I agree with that quote.

When I was a teen, I was very fiery, and would have "died for a noble cause," but I found that when I got older, I would rather live for something. Gandhi's quote comes to mind.

"Be the change you wish to see in the world."

I think now I focus on what I'm doing to make the world a better place rather that worrying about everyone else. It makes a lot more sense anyway. If we all did our part, the world would be a better place. It's important for me to go to bed every night with a content mind and to help those I can. I just do my part.

If you die while supporting a cause, what good are you? You can't do anything while you're dead; or for that matter when you're so strung out on passionate emotions that you can't think rationally about how to achieve your goals.

Did that make sense?

K.
 
Yes that's what what my friend has tried to instill and that's what my rational side tells me:). But somehow I'm still willing to risk pretty much if I feel that it will benefit humanity. But my attitude will probably make a 180 when I purchase the wife-2-kids-dog package:)
 
I think any idealism should be tempered with a healthy amount realism -- change is usually a slow and daunting process, and to truly make a difference usually requires patience and steadfastness...and although I would do any many number of things for a worthy cause, I don't think I've ever been the type to plow forward without stopping to really consider the steps needed.
 
i do not think i have ever wanted to did for a cause. I would kill for my own cause, or for enough money, but to die is to lose all your ability to control things. My example is jesus. Had he lived he could have stopped the church from committing all their attrocities.
 
it depends. Young people are more willing to die for a noble cause but that might be caused by a relative sense that they have less to lose. They usually don't have families and other people who are dependant on them. So it might sound like an easy way to make a difference in a world. They also have less experience in distinguishing what is a good cause and what is not.

But eventually we're all gona die. Human history has a lot of bold examples when meaningful sacrifices were made.

In general NF types are called "idealists" and we can carry that attitude much longer than others.

Edit: as for me - desire to make the world a better place has never subsided. And by changing things I mean in a BOLD way not just some wife & kids package
 
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i too am an idealist. My ideal is of a planet unburdened by 90 percent of humanity
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I think you just get more resigned to not being able to make a lot of change as you get older.
Change can only really take place on a large scale if many people all band together to get it changed.
When you're young you feel like you can 'take on the world' or something, so it's probably just feeling that you could change anything if you wanted to. As you get older, I don't think it would go away entirely, but rather you have too many other concerns to think about changing the world.
 
I would die for a cause if it
  • Meant I would be forced to conform to a belief system or government I didn't or never would agree with and could no longer fight against (i.e. similar to the Nazi regime and was caught)
  • Was a risk I had to take for defending a cause (like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. & Gandhi)
  • Would ensure the cause or people I was fighting for would greatly benefit from my death
If you believe you can make a differece in this world GO FOR IT! :D Regardless of what others tell you.

Look at the difference Mother Teresa, Joan of Arc and Mahatma Gandhi made. (And Joan of Arc was the only young one) Think of all the lives that would have gone untouched and how history would be so different now, had they listened to all those who told them they couldn't do it.

Einstein once said "Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocrities."

If you have great dreams of helping people prepare for opposition. Surround yourself with people who believe in you and support you. :)
 
Shai Gar said:
i too am an idealist. My ideal is of a planet unburdened by 90 percent of humanity
Posted via Mobile Device
Click to expand...

I though I was the only one that found this to be a good idea...


When it comes to the idea of "die or live" for a cause...I want to live to see through what I believe in, yet I am willing to die if need be to protect it.

It is more noble to die, more mature to live, I straddle the line with my life.
 
I also want to change the world in a big way... I am huge on helping others, not just family stuff.

I often dream of going to other countries and doing humanitarian work, and many other things, but just doing what I can in that moment... changing the world one step at a time. Part of my wish to be a teacher stems from this desire to help others. I'd also like to change the lives of people on the opposite side of the globe. I want so badly to give hope to people who have none. I just fall to pieces when I see those who have suffered so much, they've lost all hope. :mcute:

I think when we're young, we think we know everything and we're very rash and impatient. As noble as our cause may be, we usually want the world to change like we want everything else; RIGHT NOW DAMN IT, OR ELSE! :m104: When we grow up, we learn it doesn't work that way, but little steps can make big waves.

K.
 
Idealist: a cynic in the making.


Vex said:
The question is though, are we more prone to let our causes fade away the older we get alternatively approach them more realistically? Or are we still die hard idealists?
Click to expand...

A cause that is important to you now, may not mean anything to you when you are older.
You may even look back and ask yourself why you gave a damn in the 1st place. "How silly of me to think that was important."

You also learn to pick your battles. Is the cause worth it in the grand scheme of things?

You don't have the free time to worry about such things.


Shai Gar said:
i too am an idealist. My ideal is of a planet unburdened by 90 percent of humanity
Posted via Mobile Device
Click to expand...

I swear, if I were the last man on Earth, someone would make a left turn in front of me. So, I concur.
 
MindYourHead said:
A cause that is important to you now, may not mean anything to you when you are older.
You may even look back and ask yourself why you gave a damn in the 1st place. "How silly of me to think that was important."

You also learn to pick your battles. Is the cause worth it in the grand scheme of things?

You don't have the free time to worry about such things.
Click to expand...
I find this way of thing extremely sad.

I'll worry about tomorrow, tomorrow.
 
minority funk said:
I find this way of thing extremely sad.

I'll worry about tomorrow, tomorrow.
Click to expand...

I'm just sayin...
Most people aren't the same person at say age 35 that they were at 18 / 19.
You may feel idealistic in other ways, about other things.
 
RetardedMonkey said:
Einstein once said "Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocrities."
Click to expand...

yep, there are always some idiots who discourage you to fight for a cause you really believe in. Once that happens, you become an average joe and a robot in the matrix.

"Be the change you want to see in the world", I agree with that one too.
 
I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm with Shai Gar on this one. I am an idealist, but I would never want to die for a cause.
 
Shai Gar said:
i too am an idealist. My ideal is of a planet unburdened by 90 percent of humanity
Posted via Mobile Device
Click to expand...

any particular 90 percent???
 
Shai Gar said:
enfps first.
Posted via Mobile Device
Click to expand...
wtF?!!!
Spiteful d*ck!!! only kidding...unless there's more death threats......*shifty glances*...........
 
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