Energy vs. Idealism

摘要

Presumably no one reading this column has any difficulty in understanding the term "energy." The same cannot be said about "idealism," simply because it may mean different things to different people. Here, I use it to mean "the practice of forming ideals or living under their influence," according to my Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary. Even though that looks harmless, such idealism can be quite deadly. Just consider the sundry religious and political idealisms, all representing "extremism", which have claimed millions of lives and show no sign of abating.