“Be realistic” is the worst advice someone can ever give you. It is a commonly used
phrase that, when internalized and accepted, brands a life of mediocrity.
The people championing realism are usually the people who gave up on their own dreams.
The reason someone will tell you something is unrealistic is because you haven’t done it yet, and deeper than that, THEY themselves haven’t done it yet. Being realistic is claustrophobic. It suffocates you and limits you to only what’s been done so far.
Will Smith explained in an interview: “It is
unrealistic to walk into a room and flip a switch and lights come on. Fortunately,
Edison didn’t think so. It is unrealistic to think that you can bend a piece of metal and fly people over an ocean. That’s unrealistic.”
