Ideally, we would not have ideals. The idealized self is a false god, a source of suffering. ‘Oh, look what I should be.’ Wherever should is, conflict also is. Conflict consumes energy. Energy is love, and conflict devours it, leaves a husk to walk around saying, “I’m fine, thank you.”
Advertisers are idealists—as, for the most part, are politicians.
Taken to its loveless extreme, idealism is patriotism. And then it is war.
Men's Work 