Why Realism Is Better Than Dreaming Big

WHY REALISM IS BETTER THAN DREAMING BIG

        "Dream big," my parents said, "and you can become anything." Have your parents ever told you something along those lines? When I was little, I used to take that to mean that I could be the best basketball player in the world. However, after being cut from my basketball team in 5th grade, I knew that I could not be anything I wanted. I was crushed. Therefore, I learned that realism is better than dreaming big for three reasons: (1) dreaming big will only lead to your hopes and dreams being crushed, (2) being realistic keeps your mind focused on the present as well as the future, and (3) realistic people have better relationships than dreamers.

        In the 2007 National Basketball Association draft, a man that was 7 feet tall and weighed 284 pounds was drafted first, above future superstar Kevin Durant. His name was Greg Oden. A college star, he is quoted as saying that he planned on playing with one team his entire career, and being a superstar, loved in one place (the term for a player like that is "franchise player"). However, multiple injuries and knee surgeries caused him to only play 105 games, less than two whole seasons, in the NBA. By comparison, Manu Ignobility, drafted 57th, has played 968 games and counting. Now, he is quoted as saying, "I will be remembered as the biggest bust in NBA history." (1) His dreams were crushed, and he is now a sadder man, as can be seen from the linked interview at the end of this paper. (1) What if he had been realistic? He would have taken into account injuries and the like and would've known not to set the bar too high.

        Second, being realistic keeps people's heads in the present as well as in the future. One aspect of dreaming big is daydreaming. Most dreams of this type are about future events. So when dreaming, people tend to think about the future and forget about present needs. In a paper about daydreaming, Chad Hagy says, "If you are at work or trying to complete an important task, daydreaming can interfere with your productivity and cause you to either slow down or stop completely for a matter of minutes. If your job consists of operating heavy machinery, daydreaming can even be harmful to your health if you allow it to reduce your concentration." Therefore, dreaming big can even cause health problems. Albeit, there are some benefits to daydreaming. In the same paper, Hagy says, "This can also be a stress-relieving technique after a major argument with a friend, loved one, or even after a traumatic life event...this attribute can help you keep your sanity when you are going through rough times." However, daydreams about grandiose things tend to go into detail, especially the one about a person's new house or their dream job. This can lead to the lapses of concentration mentioned by Hagy.