I do worry that realists have it all figured out and I am just a naive idealist hoping that basic human nature doesn’t always triumph in everything.

Darwin depresses me, I have to believe that people can be nice, maybe if the elite weren’t so greedy people could be free to be nicer. Things like the welfare queen myth don’t help, and propaganda from the late 19th century in America was basically the same, though with African American men doing the same kind of thing.

If you are a Realist, just note that the American Dream isn’t helpful when getting virtuous citizens, I know I conflict in ideology a bit because I claim to be an Individualist and I don’t think everyone’s primary engine of motivation should be to make it to the top, since that isn’t realistic or helpful for most people. I suffer from this as well, I fantasize about being important and successful of course, but I try to think of how being good makes life better. And as always, ethics before religion.