理想主义者之面面观

让我们来看一看理想主义者可能有的诸多面貌。有时候很难辨认理想主义者，因为他们披着如此悲观的外衣，以至于所有你能看到的，只是各种冷嘲热讽的嘴脸。另一方面，许多以最理想主义的方式，说话最热情洋溢的人，私底下却有着种种悲观主义与绝望的最黑暗面貌。如果你是理想主义者，同时觉得活在世上相当无力；如果你的理想主义是笼统而夸张的，与任何表达理想的实际计划无关的话，那么你会发现自己的确有了麻烦。这里用几个具体例子来解释我的意思。

前不久的一天晚上，在这间客厅里聚着一小群人。有个来自美国其它地方的男客人开始谈到这个国家的现状，猛烈批判全体同胞的贪婪和愚昧。他说人们为了钱肯做任何事，而当他继续自己的长篇大论时，又表达了这个观点——人类本身几乎无可避免地会带来自身的毁灭。

他举了许多为钱作恶的例子。这引发了一场热烈的讨论，但没有任何反对意见能进入这个人的心。罗杰——让我们这么称呼他——的内心是一个理想主义者，但他相信在这个世界上，个人没什么力量，因此，在他的个人生活中，他并不追求他个人的理想主义。“每个人都是体制的奴隶”，这就是他信念的方向。他在当地的商界有份规律的工作，并且一做就是二十多年，却一直厌恶去上班，或者嘴里说很厌恶，同时却拒绝尝试对他开放的其它活动领域——因为他害怕尝试。

他觉得他背叛了自己，而把那个背叛向外投射，直到在这个社会政治的世界里，他看到的一切只是背叛而已。如果他从个人生活入手，开始将他的理想付诸实践，他就不会陷入这样一个局面，因为理想的表达会带来满足，随之又会自然促进现实理想主义的进一步表达。

罗杰在任何社交团体里都以同样的方式说话，因而，在某种程度上，他散播出一种负面与绝望的气氛。不过，我并不想只凭他的这些态度来定义这个人，因为当他忘记了理想主义与实际生活的鸿沟而谈到其他活动时，又充满了迷人的活力。不过，如果他基于自己天然的兴趣而选择其中之一来谋生的话，那种活力给他的滋养会比现在多得多。他可以是一位极好的老师，曾有人为他提供过可以让他更快乐的工作，但他却坚信自己缺乏力量，以至于不敢去利用那些机会。不过，在他的生活里有一些满足，使他不至于进一步缩小他的焦点。

如果你想把这个世界变得更好，那么你是一个理想主义者。如果你想把这个世界变得更好，却相信它无法被改变分毫，那么你是个悲观主义者，而你的理想主义就只会令你苦恼。如果你想把这个世界变得更好，却相信不管每个人如何努力，它只会变得更糟，那么你就是个真正灰了心的、或许是被误导的理想主义者。如果你想把这个世界变得更好，并且下定决心去做，不管自己或别人付出什么代价，不管风险如何，而且你相信“为达目的可以不择手段”的话，你就是一个狂热分子。

Let us look at the many forms idealism can take. Sometimes it is difficult to identify idealists, because they wear such pessimistic clothing that all you can see are the patterns of a sardonic nature, or of irony. On the other hand, many who speak most glowingly, in the most idealistic fashions, underneath are filled with the darkest aspects of pessimism and despair. If you are idealists, and if you feel relatively powerless in the world at the same time, and if your idealism is general and grandiose, unrelated to any practical plans for its expression, then you can find yourself in difficulties indeed. Here are a few specific examples of what I mean.

One evening, in this very living room, a small group was assembled not too long ago. One visitor, a man from another part of the country, began to speak about the state of the nation, largely condemning all of his countrymen and women for their greed and stupidity. People would do anything at all for money, he said, and as his monologue continued, he expressed his opinion that the species itself would almost inevitably bring about its own destruction.

He cited many instances of nefarious acts committed for money's sake. A lively discussion resulted, but no countering opinion could enter this man's mind. Roger, let us call him, is an idealist at heart, but he believes that the individual has little power in the world, and so he did not pursue his personal idealism in the events of his own life. "Everyone is a slave to the system." That is his line of belief. He took a routine job in a local business and stayed with it for over 20 years, all of the time hating to go to work, or saying that he did, and at the same time refusing to try other areas of activity that were open to him ? because he was afraid to try.

He feels he has betrayed himself, and he projects that betrayal outward until betrayal is all that he sees in the socio-political world. Had he begun the work of actualizing his ideals through his own private life, he would not be in such a situation. The expression of ideals brings about satisfaction, which then of course promotes the further expression of practical idealism.

Roger speaks the same way in any social group, and therefore to that extent spreads a negative and despairing aura. I do not want to define his existence by those attitudes alone, however, for when he forgets the great gulf between his idealism and practical life, and speaks about other activities, then he is full of charming energy. That energy could have sustained him far more than it has, however, had he counted on his natural interests and chosen one of those for his life's work. He could have been an excellent teacher. He had offers of other jobs that would have pleased him more, but he is so convinced of his lack of power that he did not dare take advantage of the opportunities. There are satisfactions in his life however that prevent him from narrowing his focus even further.

If you want to change the world for the better, then you are an idealist. If you want to change the world for the better, but you believe it cannot be changed one whit, then you are a pessimist, and your idealism will only haunt you. If you want to change the world for the better, but you believe that it will grow worse, despite everyone's efforts, then you are a truly despondent, perhaps misguided idealist. If you want to change the world for the better, and if you are determined to do so, no matter at what cost to yourself or others, no matter what the risk, and if you believe that those ends justify any means at your disposal, then you are a fanatic.

——摘自《个人与群体事件的本质》（The individual and nature of mass events）

校译/美编：Laujenny     

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