In our life we often use the word "ideal". But do we think about its meaning? Let's look at the explanatory dictionary. A synonym for the word ideal is the word "perfection". If you describe the meaning, it turns out that this is the highest point that a person can reach in his development. A person can have ideal beauty, character. But these are all external manifestations.
Interpretation of the term
After a little research, we could not find a consensus on the question "what are ideals?". The definition can be completely different and ambiguous.
The problem is that for each person who lives in a certain society, the interpretation of the term "ideal" is unique. A person follows his ideas, which are embedded in his subconscious. For some, these are the ideals of external beauty, and for some, these are spiritual ideals. But you can not treat them as a static phenomenon. For example, in childhood there may be ideals of a prince or princess. They will have certain character traits, appearance.
As a child grows, these ideals begin to change. This is what needs to be taken quite seriously. Many children take for ideals images that are not ideals at all. Especially serious are the ideals thatadolescents define. For example, an action hero who breaks the law. Following one's ideal can lead a child to repeat the fate of his idol himself.
Sometimes a successful person is chosen as the ideal. By following his advice, you can achieve success in business yourself. The older generation considers veterans, heroes who saved their homeland and thousands of lives, as an ideal and role model. But each person perceives ideals in his own way. Because everyone has their own value system.
Examples of the ideal
Description of the ideal can be found in fiction, painting, architecture. But the problem is that in different eras, a certain stereotype was taken as the highest point of perfection. The moral ideal can be external or internal. In works of literature, one can find many examples of how a person who has external beauty, such as Helen in War and Peace, can be far from ideal in terms of his spiritual content. Thus, we are unlikely to find a single point of view about what ideals are.
The idea of the ideal from the point of view of philosophy
The question of what ideals are has interested people since ancient times. Today, the concept of morality and culture is gradually losing its meaning. In the minds of an adult, not to mention children, there is a real mixture of different cultures and values. At the same time, society cannot develop normally if there are no lofty goals and ideals. The concept of a moral ideal is present in the Orthodox religion, on which the culture of Ancient Russia was built. Children, in those days, were brought up in accordance with the idea of the dogmas of the Orthodox Church.
Later, many philosophers, such as Lomonosov, studied ideals from their own points of view. It was their ideas that were laid in the system of raising children. The concept of the ideal can be found in the works of Kant, Pestalozze, Ushinsky. The system of spiritual values is embedded in many works of fiction. But the fact is that at different times people answered the question of what ideals were in different ways. Every culture has its own values.
On moral ideals
If you analyze the concept from a philosophical point of view, you can find a division. There is an ideal, which is defined as the highest point, value, a certain system of moral concepts. In which the moral ideal is a system based on moral requirements. Their combination forms a certain image of a person's personality. There are certain characteristics.
- From the point of view of the spiritual and moral value system, ideals are a model worthy of emulation. In this regard, examples can be given from fiction and spiritual literature. Many heroes have a number of characteristics that allow us to draw conclusions about their moral qualities.
- Throughout human evolution, the concept of "moral ideal" has been constantly changing. So, in ancient Greece, according to Aristotle, the ideal from a moral point of viewconsisted in the ability of self-contemplation. A person had to renounce ordinary worldly life in order to achieve the highest point of perfection. Kant believed that the moral ideal is determined by the inner world of a person.
In order to do things that are worthy of an ideal personality, you need to be guided by certain rules. One way or another, but for every philosopher and psychologist there is a concept of what ideals are.
Human cultural values
Man lives in society. This or that society, if we consider it as a society, lives in accordance with its own rules, traditions, which are also called culture. Man cannot exist without a definite purpose. It is culture that puts forward certain goals for the individual. This is not a scientific definition. Science reveals the causes that exist in certain time periods. The goals that a person sets for himself make it possible to predict the future. It is determined by the actions of the individual.
In the animal world there is no value system that makes up the definition of what the ideals of culture are. But it exists in human society. Moreover, the goals that a person sets for himself are largely determined by culture. The culture of a society is based on traditions. It develops at the genetic level. That is, it is passed down from generation to generation. Society poses a difficult task for a person - to preserve culture. Throughout the evolution of mankind, there have been a large number of differentcultures. There was Chinese, Egyptian, Old Russian. Each of them took care to pass on their value system to the next generation.
The ideal human life
From all of the above, we can say that each person has his own system of values. Each person sets himself certain goals. By achieving them, a person realizes his ideal of life.
For one, the ideal in life is a family, for another, material values. Each of us has our own ideal of life. Everyone makes an effort to achieve it. To do this, he sets goals for himself. This is very important, it is the goal that motivates a person to develop in the direction he needs.
Is it possible to achieve the ideal
If we consider the ideal as a goal to strive for, then we can turn to psychology. Much here depends on the answer to the question, what are the ideals of a person, as well as on his person. If there is a desire, then the goal set for oneself can be achieved. What is needed for this? First of all, you need to determine for yourself what exactly you need to achieve. It could be the perfect family, or the perfect job. After that, on a piece of paper, you should make a plan for yourself.
Secondly, it is important to determine for yourself the time frame for which you should achieve your goal. Do not immediately plan your actions for several years in advance. This may be a short period of time during which certain results can be achieved that will bring the realization of the goal closer.
It is very important to find the right motivation for yourself, orreason. You need to support yourself with positive thoughts. Very often there are obstacles in the way of achieving your ideal. Do not forget that without them it is impossible to achieve the goal. You need to treat them right. It is very important to get out of your usual comfort zone.
In closing
Having considered the question of what a person's ideals are, we can draw conclusions. In pursuit of material values, one should not forget about morality and spirituality. The basis of moral values is laid down in many religions. There should be a system that is based on culture. The soul must come first. It is the development of spiritual qualities that should be taken care of in the first place. Then the life of society can become ideal.
