Graphic showing a human icon in the center of a balancing beam with a heart and brain on either side.Photo byJack_the_sparow via Shutterstock

The internal struggle between pragmatism and idealism is real.

The pragmatic vs idealist debate keeps people stuck in a constant state of anxiety, unsure of what to do.

Our idealistic side sees the good in a world bursting with opportunity, while the pragmatic side knows the truth about how things work.

At heart, I’m a young idealist who dreams of a life of adventure, excitement, and exploration. But my brain is an old pragmatic soul obsessed with responsibility and financial security.

In my struggle to find balance, I’ve pondered an intriguing question: does pragmatic vs. idealistic have to be a winner-take-all fight to the death?

Can we have both?

Pragmatic Vs Idealistic

Although the pragmatic vs. idealistic debate often turns philosophical, we’re not going to focus on that. Hegel, Nietzsche, and Kant’s discourses about idealism's virtues or pragmatism's necessity don’t matter in real life.

The more critical aspect is the real-world effects of a pragmatic or idealistic attitude on your daily life.

Balancing pragmatism with idealism for a fulfilling life is a real challenge. The opposing characteristics fight for superiority in our heads, creating a constant battle about what we should do.

Pragmatism embraces realism. Pragmatic people do what they need to do when they need to do it. They live in a world grounded in reality.

Idealism is the dream. Idealistic folks do what they want with rose-colored glasses hoping everything will work out.

Pragmatism and idealism are opposite ends of the spectrum, but most people can relate to both. Everyone wants to follow their dreams, but most of us are practical enough to realize it isn’t always possible.

Pragmatism Pays the Bills

Most people live in the real world of pragmatism. We can’t do what we want because we have responsibilities.

We have bills to pay and kids to feed. We need our jobs because they give us money to meet these obligations. Our insidious work culture forces us into cubicles, and the middle-class trap ensures no escape. If we don’t follow the rules, we risk our financial security and possibly survival.

Our society forces us to be pragmatic. It pays the bills and helps us maintain our standard of living. It may keep us trapped, but at least we can survive and often thrive.

Idealism Gives Us Hope

Idealism is the opposite. It makes dreams, shows us the world of possibility surrounding us, and entices us to take risks.

“Don’t worry about how to pay the bills or where to live,” whispers idealism. “Those are just details. They will work themselves out.”

Idealism drives us to climb mountains, embark on incredible adventures, start a business, and create art. It tells us the world is our oyster, and we just need to reach out and grab it. Things will work out.

Pragmatism and Idealism Can Work Together

Pragmatism offers safety and security, while idealism injects us with dreams and desires.

Finding a balance between the two extremes is the secret to a fulfilling life.

We may abhor the nine-to-five slog, but we also know quitting without a backup plan is a bad idea. Pragmatism prevents us from making horrible decisions.

That doesn’t mean we can’t hope, want, and plan. It doesn’t have to be pragmatism vs. idealism. You don’t have to resign yourself to a life of boring misery to ensure your survival.

There’s a way to balance your life so that your pragmatic and idealistic sides can live in harmony.

How to Balance Pragmatism with Idealism

Whether your idealistic side is begging you to climb mountains, save sea otters, travel the world, or pursue a dream career, balancing it with a pragmatic plan can help you achieve it while ensuring financial stability and security.

The two opposing sides can meet happily in the center.

The pragmatic vs. idealistic struggle is real, but you can balance them and live a fulfilling life.

Here are four steps for finding that balance.

Understand You Can’t Have it All

First, you must embrace your pragmatism. You will not get everything you want unless you’re already a multi-millionaire.

Lifestyle blogs love to sell us on the idea that we can have it, but it’s not realistic. You can’t master two careers and prioritize multiple aspects of your life at the same time.

You must choose.

Set Priorities

Now you can let your idealism take over. What do you want the most? Which top three life goals are worth sacrificing, risking, or trying for?

Dream big in this step. Explore the entire world of possibilities and narrow it down to the things most important to you.

Make a Plan

After defining your top goals, bring trusty pragmatism back to the surface so you can develop a plan to achieve them. This step involves deep diving into your current situation, finances, and obligations.

Your plan should include goals, tasks, and estimated completion dates. A separate financial plan is also essential, as it will help you align your finances with your ultimate life goals.

Put Your Plan Into Action

When acting on your plan, it’s crucial to maintain a balance between pragmatism and idealism. Your idealistic side will provide fuel to keep going, keep dreaming, and keep trying. It will inspire you to work out kinks in your plan and motivate you to push through despite setbacks.

The pragmatic side will help you adjust your plan as needed and stay focused on completing each objective.

The two sides must work in harmony during this process.

Consider Financial Freedom

Financial independence offers a fantastic way to balance the pragmatism vs idealism dichotomy.

The pragmatic half would be happy to let loose and live a life of adventure if it knew that money would be no issue. Dreams of escapades to come may sate the idealistic side in the building phase, while small treats along the way can calm the impatience.

Financial Independence can give people the opportunity to pursue their ideal lives. It provides a safety net to fall back on if the romantic endeavor doesn’t work out. Of course, we hope it will, and our idealistic side insists it will, but we still have to be realistic for the sake of our pragmatic halves.

Financial freedom is a fantastic tool for achieving the perfect balance in the pragmatic vs. idealistic struggle, but it might not be achievable for everyone.

You can achieve a balance between pragmatism and idealism without it.

What’s Better, Pragmatism or Idealism?

Although we need both to survive in this world, in a perfect world, there’s a clear winner: Idealism.

Why Idealism Reigns Supreme

Pragmatism never wrote tales of intrigue, painted grand masterpieces, or discovered new worlds.

Pragmatism is safe. It gets stuff done, but lacks imagination and innovation.

Idealism changes the world.

The irony is that most of us don’t have the freedom to pursue it. Millions of Americans are stuck in the middle-class trap, struggling with stagnant wages and making hard decisions due to inflation. There’s not much left to save for romantic ventures.

Take a moment to let your idealistic nature out. Imagine what the world would be like if everyone had the opportunity to pursue their passions. Envision the beautiful works of art we’d create, consider the advancements in clean energy and information technology, and picture a society filled with people who dedicate their lives to helping the less fortunate.

Only idealistic romantics can imagine such a world.

The pragmatics think of all the reasons it won’t work and give us thousands of reasons not even to try.

The Dangers of Idealism

If taken too far, idealism can be problematic outside of the financial implications. People may have a set idea of how things should be and refuse to work with how things are.

In this scenario, it pays to be pragmatic vs. idealistic.

A pragmatic person can work with what they have and figure it out as they go along. They don’t get stuck in their idea of perfection but make do with reality.

To make idealism work, we need a little pragmatism.

In the Real World, We Need the Balance

We must live in the world as it is now. We have to be pragmatic because we have few other options. We can either live in reality or fight for survival.

Idealistic people may choose to struggle in pursuit of their dream lives. They give up financial security in the hope that things will work out. It’s admirable. Most of us can’t do that due to our obligations or won’t do that because we crave security.

It’s okay to put your idealism on hold for the sake of pragmatism. But let it out now and again. Pursue your dream life while making pragmatic choices in the present. Dedicate time to your passions while saving for the future.

You don’t have to choose between pragmatism and idealism, and you probably shouldn’t.

Balancing the two competing sides is the true key to a happy life.

This article was produced and syndicated by Partners in Fire.