“I fight for a better tomorrow not because I believe one is necessarily forthcoming, but because I believe a better tomorrow is worth fighting for.”
If you’ve been following my Twitter feed recently, or have received an email from me in the past couple of weeks, you may have seen this quote.
I know I’m hardly the first person to have ever felt this particular sentiment, but I’ve not heard it stated in this way.
Idealism seems to be absent from our present society. Often times, when someone states that they have an ideal of any sort, they are mocked and derided for their lofty aspirations. They are told they need to “come back down to earth”, that this is “real life”, and “that’s impossible.” Those around them, often even their close friends and loved ones, try to pull them back to a world of compromise (of self and values).
I argue that we desperately need idealism, and that the concept is misunderstood and/or undervalued. An ideal is not meant to be attained; it is meant to be pursued. It is an overarching goal, a “true north” that we can set our life compass by so that we don’t lose our way. It’s a guiding light and a distant spot on the horizon.
When driving a car, if you look only just beyond the hood, you’re going to be weaving around and having all sorts of trouble keeping on track. Your reference point is hardly a constant, leading to course corrections, each more radical than the next. You attempt to stay on the road, though you can’t tell where the road is even going.
It is only when you look to the horizon, a location far away, that your course begins to be consistent.
So is it in life. If you elect to pursue short-sighted goals, your life will be likewise short-sighted. You will lack direction, frequently and arbitrarily change course, and compromise your beliefs. You will be a double-minded person, unstable in all you do. The decision to pursue a course of action is based on if you feel like it or not. The target keeps on moving, and you keep changing direction to chase it.
The world has enough double-mindedness to last a thousand lifetimes. What we need right now are people who have ideals and the conviction needed to adhere to them, regardless of circumstances. Even when there is no hope of that ideal being realized, they still press on uncompromisingly.
An example of an idealist can be found in David, my cousin-in-law. He’s an awesome guy, and I am well-pleased that my cousin found him. I am proud to call him family.
He writes about his conviction to not eat meat here. It is an eloquent expression of his belief, the origins of said belief, and why he adheres to it. Although he fully acknowledges that his actions will not amount to more than a droplet in the comprehensive ocean of the meat industry, he is compelled to adhere to his conviction. The understanding that quite possibly no more than a handful of people will ever know about it or be affected by it does not faze him in the least, because it is a burden his heart has.
While I may not share this particular conviction, I have the utmost respect and regard for his decision. He is standing for something he believes in, being true to his heart and fighting for a better tomorrow.
We need more people who are willing to stand up for what they believe in, even in the face of evident futility.
Freedom fighters fight because they believe in freedom. It is this ideal that keeps them fighting, even when they don’t see freedom happening. So should it be for us. We need to keep up the fight, not because we think we’ll win, but because the fight is worth keeping up.
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