Whats a realist
Realist Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
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re·al·ist ˈrē-ə-list
1
: a person who recognizes what is real or possible in a particular situation : one who accepts and deals with things as they really are
a political realist
She considers herself a realist when it comes to parenting.
2
: a person (such as a writer or painter) who adheres to a style of realism by representing things in a way faithful to nature or to real life
Chekhov was essentially more of a realist than Dostoevski, whose force often lay in a strong proclivity to melodrama …—Roger Shattuck
realist
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: in the style of realism: faithful in representation to nature or to real life
realist paintings
Though a number of Dahl's most engaging stories, particularly in his early career, are cast in a realist mode, his reputation is that of a writer of macabre, blackly jocose tales …—Joyce Carol Oates
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web
Dack is not a subtly stylish realist like Arnold and her approach has less of Hittman’s sensuous curiosity. —K. Austin Collins, Rolling Stone, 2 Mar. 2023 The directors were inspired by a wide repertoire of realist and pre-impressionist paintings to depict the Nobel prize-winning novel of Wladyslaw Reymont on film. —Leo Barraclough, Variety, 16 Feb. 2023 Her pieces were realist to the point of intentional redundancy. —Hernan Diaz, Harper’s Magazine , 10 Feb. 2023 Pompeo may want to be the Republican Party’s clear-eyed realist, but this is pure fantasy. —Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 31 Jan. 2023 Being an optimistic realist makes progress faster and growth more sustainable. —John Street, Forbes, 27 Jan.
2023 Festival of Films From Iran at the National Museum of Asian Art: Iranian films have won fans and awards across the globe for decades, though the country’s realist and humanist movies and documentaries remain little known in the United States. —Chris Kelly, Washington Post, 19 Jan. 2023 Among Democrats, she's viewed as a master tactician and hard-nosed realist who is often left at uncomfortable odds with her party's younger, more radical left flank. —Rafi Schwartz, The Week, 17 Nov. 2022 Mearsheimer, a dedicated realist, had been making a version of this argument for some time. —Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 17 Nov. 2022
This is a show that routinely breaks with its largely realist format in favor of flair and emotion.
—Vulture, 2 May 2022 In 1957, the American artist Ben Shahn, a hero of Chase-Riboud’s, bought her first bronze sculpture, a work comprising a realist human form presented atop a complex abstract base. —Shirley Ngozi Nwangwa, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2022 Th project shows a vision of Arab Spain that is very realist, yet far more nuanced and more upbeat than most depictions, the two filmmakers said. —Liza Foreman, Variety, 15 Sep. 2022 In the realist novels of writers such as Balzac and Stendhal, for instance, cheer is associated with lower-class provincial men on the make, happily hustling and ascendant in a new capitalist world. —Ian Beacock, The Atlantic, 2 Aug. 2022 All around the internet, food is being given the realist era treatment: a cinnamon bun oozes with icing, a chocolate chip cookie floats on a lavender background, and a box of Cheez-Its winks coquettishly atop a blue tapestry.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'realist.
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Word History
First Known Use
Noun
1817, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Adjective
1853, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of realist was in 1817
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
Realist Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.
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[ ree-uh-list ]
/ ˈri ə lɪst /
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noun
a person who tends to view or represent things as they really are.
an artist or a writer whose work is characterized by realism.
Philosophy. an adherent of realism.
adjective
of or relating to realism or to a person who embodies its principles or practices: the realist approach to social ills; realist paintings.
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Origin of realist
1595–1605; real1 + -ist; compare French réaliste
OTHER WORDS FROM realist
an·ti·re·al·ist, noun, adjectivehy·per·re·al·ist, nounnon·re·al·ist, nounpro·re·al·ist, adjective, noun
ul·tra·re·al·ist, noun
Words nearby realist
realia, realign, realignment, real income, realism, realist, realistic, reality, reality-based, reality check, reality fiction
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Words related to realist
naturalist, rationalist
How to use realist in a sentence
A realist would worry about what comes next from the world’s most powerful countries.
Apple defends its new anti-child-abuse tech against privacy concerns|Patrick Howell O'Neill|August 6, 2021|MIT Technology Review
I am, however, a realist and I don’t get too excited because disappointments can hurt more.
Locked up in the Land of Liberty: Part IV|Yariel Valdés González|July 28, 2021|Washington Blade
Hutchison overlaps multiple views, usually of the same person, a cubist strategy tempered by a realist style and neoclassical oil-painting technique.
In the galleries: Acronyms as content encode a powerful commentary|Mark Jenkins|April 2, 2021|Washington Post
Whether you’re a hardcore survivalist or simply a realist, a high quality emergency radio can decrease risk in a challenging situation and provide added peace of mind in safer times.
Emergency radios for unpredictable times|PopSci Commerce Team|March 1, 2021|Popular-Science
In the show’s largest picture, he turns his attention to another test of the realist painter — draped fabric — with a window scene that emphasizes lush pink and gold curtains.
In the galleries: Immersive exhibit explores a wonderland in blue|Mark Jenkins|January 22, 2021|Washington Post
And I think part of it was in response to being such an extreme realist writer.
Tony Earley's Imaginary Friends|Mindy Farabee|September 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Burt told me that he considers Paul a traditional, Republican realist.
Is Rand Paul a Secret Hawk? Or Maybe Not a Total Dove?|James Kirchick|May 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He was an “idealist and a realist at the same time,” said his close friend, the British Diplomat Frank Roberts.
The Man Who Knew Russia Best: George Kennan’s Revealing Diaries|James A. Warren|March 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This indictment of American meddling was also echoed by uber-realist Stephen Walt, a professor at Harvard.
How the ‘Realists’ Misjudged Ukraine|James Kirchick|March 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Jacob Heilbrunn asked in The National Interest, the premier realist journal.
How the ‘Realists’ Misjudged Ukraine|James Kirchick|March 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
While he runs Zola close as a realist, his thoughts and language are as pure as those of Miss Yonge herself.
'The Talking Horse|F. Anstey
But whereas as a national poet he was a flattering idealist, he was as a personal poet an uncompromising realist.
Frederick Chopin as a Man and Musician|Frederick Niecks
A realist through and through, he did not shrink from representing the horrible, which antique art preferred to avoid.
The History of Modern Painting, Volume 1 (of 4)|Richard Muther
When you reach the inner circle of government you find always a very practical realism, and Brinsmade is in all things a realist.
The Wasted Generation|Owen Johnson
Robertson approved of these innovations, but he was never more than half a realist, and this from several causes.
The English Stage|Augustin Filon
British Dictionary definitions for realist
realist
/ (ˈrɪəlɪst) /
noun
a person who is aware of and accepts the physical universe, events, etc, as they are; pragmatist
an artist or writer who seeks to represent the familiar or typical in real life rather than an idealized, formalized, or romantic interpretation
philosophy a person who accepts realism
(modifier) of, relating to, or characteristic of realism or realists in the arts, philosophy, etca realist school
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co.
Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
who it is, how to recognize it and whether it is good to be
In the real world, the question of the benefits of realism looks rather strange. At first glance, the answer seems obvious. Of course, this is a very important quality of a person. Such people evaluate life more objectively, respectively, better orient themselves in it. But truth, as a rule, avoids extremes. The realist, of course, has advantages over the idealist, but he is not immune from shortcomings either. So what are its pros and cons? Is it difficult for people with this type of personality to live? Is it worth raising your child to be a realist? Let's talk about this topic without too much idealism.
What is a realist?
A realist is a person who objectively evaluates current events. He is characterized by pragmatism, sanity, prudence. He is unlikely to receive fame as a dreamer and inventor. At the same time, one should not think that a realist cannot be an optimist. Simply, for this type of thinking, he needs more arguments than an idealist.
Realists tend to avoid fantasy and subjectivity. They adhere to the principles of objective perception of the world. It should be borne in mind that there are several types of realism, which can differ markedly from each other. We will discuss this classification later.
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Types of Realists
A realist may tend to be optimistic or pessimistic. In fact, this is the main classification of this type of personality. People are not robots, therefore they evaluate any situation through the prism of their experience and worldview. Even the most complete realist sees the world as he wants to see it. It is appropriate to draw a parallel with the fly and the bee. Both are not inclined to fantasize, just the first draws attention to the garbage heaps, and the second to the flower meadows. At the same time, you cannot call them idealists. The goal of each is more than pragmatic - food and survival.
Depending on their upbringing and life experience, realists can somewhat "exaggerate" or "dilute" them with their confidence in success. This does not make them idealists. They simply realistically assess their capabilities, try to predict the possible outcome of upcoming events. Or they simply interpret the current situation based on personal beliefs. For example, a man's wife left him for another. One will say that her new chosen one was lucky. Another will express the opinion that this is luck for the former. In fact, both are realists, they simply interpreted the event differently.
Philosophers have created a more complex classification of realism, which belongs more to the field of knowledge than psychology:
- Naive - based on logic and common sense;
- Scientific - studies objective truth without denying the subjective role of the researcher in the creation of theories;
- Critical - admits the erroneous ideas about the world around.
Although this division is more about science than the everyday sphere, parallels can be drawn with the behavior of ordinary people. Some realists absolutize their knowledge and experience. Others allow for the possibility of misperception. Still others are generally skeptical about everything that happens. At the same time, they are quite easy to identify among the interlocutors.
How to recognize a realist?
Realist gives the impression of a sincere, open and self-confident person. You can determine it quickly enough, after the first debriefing, or drawing up plans. The realist avoids lengthy, overly emotional and abstract conversations.
Most often, this type of personality is straightforward, specific, concise. You rarely hear from him “it seems to me”, “maybe”, “probably”, etc. He doesn't need to guess because there are objective facts . In any case, as objective as it allows to evaluate the mind of a person.
The realist does not like to direct his energy into conjectures or fantasies. He is attracted by current affairs, urgent tasks and the constructive side of events. Therefore, a conversation with this type of people has a more mundane character. It is difficult to judge whether this is good or bad, since in a particular situation such an approach may have specific advantages or disadvantages. We will talk about all the pros and cons of realists in the next section.
Is it good or bad to be realistic?
In the material world, realism is associated with objectivity and impartiality. This statement is true, if you do not take into account the spiritual component of man. Otherwise, one will have to admit that subjective experiences are no less real than the surrounding reality. The more specific the task, the more effective the realist becomes in solving it. But when it comes to the spiritual realm and the power of thought, the idealists are far ahead. Let's analyze these cases separately.
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Advantages of Realists
In those areas of life where cold calculation and balanced decisions are needed, realists are ahead of other personality types. Subjective assessments are so alien to them that they seem to be like mirrors reflecting reality. This property is indispensable in the scientific, technical and industrial fields, where the performer's excessive daydreaming can lead to the most unexpected consequences. Suppose if ten milligrams of a reagent should be used, then it really needs to be measured in that amount. Not "by eye", or "most likely", but really ten. Realists have no equal in this.
Also, this type of person often takes on the role of leader or manager . This is not surprising, since the cold calculation of realists helps them to assess the situation in a balanced way and make the most constructive decisions. Regardless of leadership roles, such people must be represented in any team, otherwise excessive idealism sometimes leads in the wrong direction. They are a kind of deterrent, with the help of which it is possible to achieve the "golden mean" between practicality and flight of thought.
Realists often achieve great success in creating home comfort and establishing a domestic sphere. They understand that a faucet will not fix itself, that a leaky roof will most likely leak by winter, and a clogged sewer will return to its owners all that they so generously invest in it in the near future. Therefore, realists, as a rule, have time to prevent a possible breakdown, preventing its aggravation. But do not think that this type of people is devoid of shortcomings, which we will discuss later.
Shortcomings of realists
Unwillingness and inability to fantasize can play a cruel joke on any realist. Of course, a pragmatic view of the world is effective, but not in cases where you need to show resourcefulness and creativity. This type of people is much less likely than idealists to become artists and writers. Arguing by "mundane" standards, they are unlikely to create a cool advertisement for their products or services.
In addition, a dry and concise type of communication is not always liked by interlocutors , especially for girls. As you know, they love with their “ears”, and sometimes the pathetic speeches of some inventor can produce a greater effect than the overly logical arguments of a realist. In politics, the latter have nothing to do at all, since voters consume "noodles" in quantities that are an order of magnitude greater than the most gullible girl.
But these are all trifles in comparison with real danger for the realists themselves . In a feedback-driven world, optimists often do much better. This is because they believe in their success, while realists can "understand" with their heads that the chances are extremely small. It is unlikely that even one realist will give up everything acquired in his city for the sake of an ephemeral opportunity to start everything from scratch in another place. There is little chance that any realist will make a grandiose scientific discovery. It was the dreamers who once discovered America, began space exploration and invented the Internet. On the other hand, if it were not for the realists in their team, then all these discoveries might not have come true, crashing against the harsh realities of the pragmatic world.
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How to behave with a realist?
First of all, one should not burden such a person with philosophy and speculative conclusions. When communicating with a realist, it is desirable to understand that facts and a clear formulation of an idea are important to him. It is better when all this is supported by real life examples. For example, when offering your business partner, who is distinguished by realism, a new advertising campaign, it is necessary to focus his attention that such measures have already brought profit to someone. It is even better if specific numbers are announced: how much they invested, how much they received, what kind of conversion, etc.
There is not much romance in a romantic relationship with a realist. More dialogue will be based on trust, mutual understanding, comfort. This type of personality is not characterized by rash "heroic" deeds with outbursts of emotions. Everything is extremely simple and logical. If they fit together, then they build relationships, if not, then they say goodbye. Accordingly, in their youth, realists have a harder time compared to more dreamy peers, but the older they get, the more popular they begin to be with the opposite sex.
How to bring up a realist?
A realist child is a rare phenomenon, since this quality is developed during a person's growing up. Of course, teaching a child the rules and laws of life is an important occupation, but not to the detriment of his imagination. A person must develop both hemispheres of the brain. The right side is for creativity. The left is for rational thinking. Creativity is as important as logic. If you manage to combine both qualities, then it will be much easier for such a person to break through in life. So, deliberately killing the "spirit of creativity" is akin to a crime.
But to stimulate the eternal "rose-colored glasses" is also not an option.
Total should be in moderation . Education in the spirit of the "golden mean" is one of the most correct approaches in working with children. Unless, of course, there is no task to grow a genius who will either “break” or “shoot out”. There is no third. In all other cases, idealists should be “grounded” a little, and realists, on the contrary, should be “launched into the clouds”. It is in this case, when both hemispheres develop harmoniously, that a person combines the advantages of different types of thinking.
An unambiguous answer to the question “Is a realist good or bad?” does not exist. It all depends on the specific situation. At some points, pragmatism provides advantages, while at others it causes inconvenience. It is best when this quality is balanced by a developed fantasy, either one's own or one's partner. In this case, rational thinking helps to translate stormy ideas into reality.
Thanks to this dualism, scientific discoveries are made, and their results are widely applied in all possible areas of life.
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Realist - the meaning of the word, definition
A realist is a person who strictly takes into account the conditions of reality in everyday activities, critically looks at the outside world and does not indulge in extremes. The meaning of the word realist is presented in the philosophical encyclopedia and is interpreted as follows by an adherent of the philosophical direction - realism, which recognizes the existence of exclusively universal concepts as real.
The meaning of the word realist can also be found in art and literature, where this is the name of a representative of the direction of realism, which aims to show the truthful reproduction of reality in its typical manifestations. A reasonable look at oneself and the external modern world is a necessary factor in making the right effective decisions, achieving success in order to be a happy person.
The modern information environment is very aggressive, so it is difficult to soberly assess all of its factors. This is worth the effort. In order to be able to objectively perceive things, you should carefully select sources of information that you can trust.
A person who wants to become a realist must embody the essence of love and happiness in his own life, overcome his weaknesses, strong uncontrolled emotions and bad habits that destroy both body and mind. Any delusion or pattern imposed on a person by family and society instead of the truth accepted as a result of conscious analysis is a surrender to deception, which, as a result, makes a person a slave to false ideas.
A realist is a person who is able to be independent of other people's ideas and judgments, resist them, can be himself and is able to become happy. People often refer to themselves as either optimists or pessimists, forgetting about such an intermediate option as a realist.
Realist definition of this concept includes a person who has an equally sober evaluative view of himself and the outside world.
He knows how to keep emotions under his control, so he is always reasonable and balanced. Optimists and pessimists almost always cannot keep the whole situation under control by weighing, evaluating and analyzing information.
Although it is best for a person to be a realist, most people prefer to be optimists. Because it is always more pleasant to look at the world with joyful eyes.
Who is a realist
The meaning of the word realist comes from the Latin term "realis", meaning "real". A realist is a person who always adequately and objectively perceives external reality and reacts to it quite calmly. Such a person can firmly stand on his feet and knows the value of things.
A person can be a realist, both in childhood, youth and old age. The realist child finds in his books an untrue description of life, too fabulous. Therefore, he does not focus on them, believing that life should be created based on what is happening in the real world.
In their youth, realists like to learn a lot of harsh and harsh facts of life, which are rare in peaceful times in a prosperous family and in real life.
A realist, as a rule, imposing in his sayings and thoughts, he treats everyone with due respect. This is a person who will never deceive himself, he is quite sincere with himself, therefore he can give a correct and accurate assessment of the actions of his own behavior, as if he evaluates not himself, but another person from the outside. To achieve this state of mind, it is worth forgetting about elevated personal pride and perceiving the world in a neutral, unbiased and independent of various factors.
However, it is impossible for a person to become a realist completely, because he will lose his character and personal opinion, he will be lost as a person, or simply go crazy. But many are still able to almost reach this state, at least come close to it.
More often you can meet male realists, because women are more emotional, because of impressionability and sensitivity, they cannot give a critical assessment of what is happening. But still it depends solely on each individual specifically.
Technological progress has reached the point where everyone can find various information, books, films and videos on the Internet while sitting at home. Videos can be of various nature and content. A person can review the most terrible, cruel and terrible events that took place in different parts of the world. He can learn how different people live, and by comparing this with his serene life, he will become smarter and will evaluate everything differently.
Such a person begins to really understand what the real price of human life is. It is difficult to surprise, upset or greatly anger him. He begins to perceive the world through the prism of reality, becoming a realist. He no longer reacts to things as rejected as before, he does not see the point. It turns out that a person who has seen a lot in life becomes a realist.
The realist is concrete in actions and thoughts. He is tuned to the concrete implementation of his plans and other people's ideas, a quick return to them.
A realist tends to simplify problems, he is not inclined to reason for a long time, therefore he almost always makes the first decision, because he considers the first to be the most correct. It is very important for him to act immediately in order to see the result faster. He is not inclined to think too far ahead, he wants to complete current tasks.
A realist is a person who is always straightforward, because he sees no reason to hide his personal true opinion, does not like to deceive, is powerful, decisive, often rude and radical towards others. He is not inclined to have long conversations or long explanations. If the goal is very clear, he will effectively and quickly resolve the situation. A realist is prone to leadership, so he often occupies high-ranking ranks.
Communication with a realist should begin with a topic that would be of interest to him, would bring him benefit or benefit, presenting the information briefly and clearly, using arguments, examples and real facts.
If you want a realist to accept an offer, it is worth giving him extremely truthful information without trying to outwit him. You just need to calmly express your own position and convince him of the practical benefits of the proposed case.
A realist is a person who likes to control the situation alone and dispose of it. To win the favor of a person with a realistic vision of the world, it is not necessary to occupy him with useless activities and conversations, it is better to offer help or your advice.
How to become a realist
Most people have moments when a long-awaited result turns into stress or a bad mood for them, so they rarely feel pleasure from the work done. This is because the individual is trying to achieve something quite unrealistic. However, these troubles can be avoided if you become a realist.
When a person looks at things realistically, he can evaluate his own strengths and choose an adequate goal, the achievement of which would give real pleasure.
You can acquire a realistic outlook on life by learning simple rules.
A realistically minded person always independently manages his actions, is aware of them. Many find it difficult to focus on actions because they are too preoccupied with the goal itself. This often leads to poor execution of the action plan. Yes, it will be hard to get what you want. Instead of focusing on the goal itself, it is worth considering what needs to be done now, today, to achieve it. It is necessary to analyze your actions and leave only really effective steps to achieve what you want.
One should learn not to get upset over trifles. Most people take too much to heart, attach importance to what means essentially nothing. So, if a little something goes wrong, they immediately have reproaches to themselves, tears. It would be better to analyze your actions in detail. All mistakes are considered as something that will soon become the past and experience. The more you dwell on your mistakes, the more they will become.
Realists succeed by learning the wisdom of others, taking their advice into account. A realist is a person who will not say that he knows everything himself or does not need advice. When a person begins to compare personal success with the success of others, and realizes that he falls short of them, his first reaction is envy. But envy does not allow a person to go further. It is better not to envy, but to take an example from more successful people. You need to think about what you yourself can do to achieve an outstanding result. You have to be a realist, look for ways to implement your plans. In order not to let your feeling of envy completely take over, it is advisable to change your feelings and attitude towards individuals who have achieved more. You can step over yourself and try to be happy for the success of another person. If there is nothing more than unique in this person, then why are you worse, then success will come to you. These thoughts help you master yourself, gain control over your powers and act.
