Telugu cinema/Bollywood taught me that a romantic person is the one who can woo others, be great at flirting, and create butterflies in people's stomachs.
I love this article because I know the story behind it :)
I was somewhere between Howard Roark and Peter Keating a few years ago. Life happened and I have moved more towards Howard Roark. Why? Maybe where we stand on the Pragmatic Romanticism spectrum is not merely an individual choice but a response to the world around us. When Jallianwala Bagh incident happened, it sparked emotion and action in the lives of Indians who found meaning in idealism. Perhaps we live in a world that demands more idealism than pragmatism. I would never urge anyone to become an idealist because it is indeed a hard life. I think the moment that shift occurs is a deeply personal realisation which can not easily be rationalised.
Another way to think about it is that pragmatism and romanticism are not orthogonal to each other but one demands the other. When Howard Roark says that he won't build a building for others, it's authenticity without a purpose (i didn't read the book). But if he wants to build a home for a family with children, he will not build a house with glass doors and sharp edges because it is not a home suitable for children. What I mean is that idealism or the way of the heart demands us to develop our minds to achieve what our heart desires. I am learning that they complement each other when they are aligned towards worthwhile goals.
I also think that a better way to think about idealism is to not just think about biographies which definitely have survivorship bias but to think of mythology such as the Mahabharata. It is one story where there is a lot of nuance in heroes. You have bhishma and dhrona who fought for the Kauravas out of loyalty. They may have lost in the war but they command the awe and respect of the victors who falicitate them as Gurus. I think the concept of rebirth in Hindu Mythology is pivotal for this reason. When you believe in survivorship bias, you try to survive. The Hindu dharma believes in rebirth so there is no survivorship bias which spurs individuals to be more idealistic.
For this reason, i have come to believe that India is, perhaps, more on the idealistic side than other countries. And, so, i have also learned to embrace it :)
This is a profound comment .. pragmatism should aid the romantic endeavour. That’s the balance I’m trying to create as well! And it does seem like a good exercise to think about this in the context of mythologies. I’ll do that next!
I love this article because I know the story behind it :)
I was somewhere between Howard Roark and Peter Keating a few years ago. Life happened and I have moved more towards Howard Roark. Why? Maybe where we stand on the Pragmatic Romanticism spectrum is not merely an individual choice but a response to the world around us. When Jallianwala Bagh incident happened, it sparked emotion and action in the lives of Indians who found meaning in idealism. Perhaps we live in a world that demands more idealism than pragmatism. I would never urge anyone to become an idealist because it is indeed a hard life. I think the moment that shift occurs is a deeply personal realisation which can not easily be rationalised.
Another way to think about it is that pragmatism and romanticism are not orthogonal to each other but one demands the other. When Howard Roark says that he won't build a building for others, it's authenticity without a purpose (i didn't read the book). But if he wants to build a home for a family with children, he will not build a house with glass doors and sharp edges because it is not a home suitable for children. What I mean is that idealism or the way of the heart demands us to develop our minds to achieve what our heart desires. I am learning that they complement each other when they are aligned towards worthwhile goals.
I also think that a better way to think about idealism is to not just think about biographies which definitely have survivorship bias but to think of mythology such as the Mahabharata. It is one story where there is a lot of nuance in heroes. You have bhishma and dhrona who fought for the Kauravas out of loyalty. They may have lost in the war but they command the awe and respect of the victors who falicitate them as Gurus. I think the concept of rebirth in Hindu Mythology is pivotal for this reason. When you believe in survivorship bias, you try to survive. The Hindu dharma believes in rebirth so there is no survivorship bias which spurs individuals to be more idealistic.
For this reason, i have come to believe that India is, perhaps, more on the idealistic side than other countries. And, so, i have also learned to embrace it :)
Yes, thanks to you that this essay began 🙂
This is a profound comment .. pragmatism should aid the romantic endeavour. That’s the balance I’m trying to create as well! And it does seem like a good exercise to think about this in the context of mythologies. I’ll do that next!