History Main / SillyRabbitIdealismIsForKids

-->'''Hal''': You're so naive, Roxie. You see good in everyone, even when it's not there. You're living in a fantasy. There is no Easter Bunny, there is no Tooth Fairy, and there is no Queen of England. This is the real world, and you need to ''wake up''!

* In NewJackCity, the charismatic drug lord Nino Brown gave such a speech to the old military veteran, after the veteran tries to reason with Nino that he's destroying his own community and hurting his own people selling drugs. Nino's response:

-->'''Nino Brown''': Look at you... in a few years they'll be marking your grave. Me? I'll be right here. What can you offer them? Another "I have a dream" speech? Some of that same shit you ripping off to me? Look where we at. Not a pot to piss in, nor a window to throw it out of. You's the fool, old man.

Considering that many shows and media that are on the idealistic end of the SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism or are just plain LighterAndSofter with simplistic plots are primarily targeted towards children, while cynical media with more controversial plots are often targeted to adults or attract controversy from MoralGuardians, there can often be a tendency, especially among more cynical people, to associate idealism with childish or simplistic thinking, something to outgrow, rather than an actual, legitimate, motivating[[hottip:*: Although it's generally conceded that people need at last some form of idealism (or, more cynically, some self-deception that can pass for it) to have any motivation at all, even if the ideal in question is just the pursuit of some more money. Someone completely lacking in any ideals would live an extremely short life of total apathy, ending in starvation.]] philosophy that adults can also make use of. This conditioned bias is a major reason for why many people believe TrueArtIsAngsty.

** To expand on it, Nozomu tells his class to write down their "Despairs for the future", essentially the students writing down their "Hopes for the future", what they are aiming at becoming, which Nozomu shoots down by saying "It's hopeless", and then giving them a BreakingLecture on their unrealistic goals... And then [[ThePollyanna Fuura Kafuka]] shoots HIM down simply by stating that no matter how unrealistic your goal is, as long as you do your best to achieve it "the possibility exists" that you'll succeed. [[hottip:* : Trivial note: It's later revealed that Kafuka's "Hopes/Despairs for the future" was to become "God, A Time Traveler, A Pororocian". [[MindScrew And that she was already dead when the story took place.]]

* The entire movie ''Film/TrainingDay'' is about this trope.
* Jackie, the ex-wife of Detective Mercer from the film ''Film/TheBraveOne''. Detective Mercer asks Jackie for help and she replies, "''I can't help. Besides, I don't do 'pro bono.''" When Mercer asks why, she responds, "''I grew up.''"
* The hero of ''Film/{{Dragonheart}}'' starts off as this, a cold hearted mercenary who was soured by trying to instruct a king in the old code, the code of honour of the kingdom, who grew up heartless anyway. He later becomes something of a KnightInSourArmour.
* In the Lou Diamond Phillips film ''Extreme Justice'', a lot of the PowersThatBe appear to be this way when dealing with KnightTemplar cops. Mostly due to the fact they think the ends justify the means, and the lower level powers that be are largely useless due to being in fear of losing their jobs and pensions. And Lou Diamond Phillips' character is mostly seen as naive by his co-workers because he's trying to expose the corruption that people seem to passively aggressively support.
* In {{Megamind}}, we have this discussion:

* ''Film/{{Predator}}''. [[Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger Dutch]] finds his special forces team has been duped by CIA agent Dillon.

* The Mark Wahlberg film ''{{Shooter}}'' turns into this trope towards the end of the film as the protagonist tries to bring down a corrupt senator, a colonel, and a group of PrivateMilitaryContractors. [[spoiler:The film even includes the "This is the "[[RealLife real world]]" type of speech from the [[LawfulNeutral Attorney General]] towards Bob Lee Swagger.]] Of course, his ExactWords are...

* In a DeletedScene from the fourth ''Film/HarryPotter'' film, Moody [[spoiler:(actually Crouch Jr.)]] tells Harry after the Second Task that "if you want to play the hero, I can find you plenty of playmates among the first years."
* ''Film/{{Watchmen}}'' (also in the comic), [[spoiler:Ozymandias]] tells Nite Owl to grow up and adapt, as the new world has no place for [[TheCape silly old-fashioned heroics]].
* This is Somerset's attitude towards Mills in ''{{Se7en}}''. Somerset's years as a cop have left him disillusioned, jaded, and borderline misanthropic. He scoffs at the younger man's more optimistic outlook on life, at one point even chastising him by saying "You can't be this naive!" [[spoiler: When Mills finally succumbs to the darkness by killing John Doe, however, Somerset is clearly saddened to be proven right.]]
* In Terrence Malick's ''TheThinRedLine'', Pvt. Witt is constantly taunted by his superiors for being an idealistic dreamer.
* ''StarWars'' has this late on; [[TheCynic Han]] gets Luke to his destination (as per their deal), goes on a massive detour to save a princess ''and'' adds the Empire to the list of people who want him dead, only to be met with criticism from [[WideEyedIdealist the naive teenager who owes him]] for wanting to leave after earning his reward. Averted when the SlidingScaleOfIdealismVsCynicism tipples ever so slightly towards idealism when ThePowerOfFriendship means that the [[TheGoodGuysAlwaysWin good guys win]].

* In ''Film/TheDarkKnight'', the film is essentially a battle of ideologies between Franchise/{{Batman}} and SelfDemonstrating/TheJoker, with the Joker trying to prove to Batman that deep down, [[HumansAreBastards everyone is just as evil as he is.]]

* In ''Film/TheDarkKnight'', the entire film is essentially a battle of ideologies between {{Batman}} and SelfDemonstrating/TheJoker, with the Joker trying to prove to Batman that deep down, [[HumansAreBastards everyone is just as evil as he is.]]

Compare and contrast KnightInSourArmor, who still hold ideals, just not as idealists. A converted holder of SillyRabbitIdealismIsForKids views may turn into a KnightInSourArmour, keeping to the appearance of cynicism while reluctantly pursuing idealistic goals. Also contrast SillyRabbitCynicismIsForLosers, for when excessive cynicism and pessimism turns out to be just as blinding as too much idealism or optimism.

* ''LawAndOrder'' loves to rub the viewers' face into the political version of this trope. Then there's [[BaseBreaker Abbie Carmichael]] who is this trope personified.

Expect this phrase to be uttered in WorldHalfEmpty settings ''and'' RealLife. Especially by the more Machiavellian {{Real Politik}}ers when they lecture idealists about the deceptive dog-eat-dog world of international relations. Also hordes of edgy teenagers, but the pro-idealism side of things has plenty of those as well.

* There was a creepy scene in ''{{Angel}}''s "Blind Date". Recurring baddie Lindsey Macdonald, a flunky for the rapacious law firm Wolfram & Hart, starts to have doubts about his job. He gets lectured at by Holland, an older attorney, who reminisces about harboring the same ennui that Lindsey is currently feeling. It's a very jovial yet deeply unsettling speech.

** In fact, the very idea of idealism apparently screwed Black up so much that he eventually ''came back'' and tried to destroy the entire world to ultimately prove his point, in a large-scale prequel to the Joker's attempted demonstrations in ''The Dark Knight''. Except with more HumansAreTheRealMonsters and YouBastard thrown in. In the DC Universe, enough cynicism apparently leads to evil on an epic scale.

* In Pixar/Megamind, we have this discussion:

If you have time, please take time to put examples in alphabetical order. This page Administrivia/HowToAlphabetizeThings should help you with that.

Considering that many shows and media that are on the idealistic end of the SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism or are just plain LighterAndSofter with simplistic plots are primarily targeted towards children, while cynical media with more controversial plots are often targeted to adults or attract controversy from MoralGuardians, there can often be a tendency, especially among more cynical people, to associate idealism with childish or simplistic thinking, something to outgrow, rather than an actual, legitimate, motivating philosophy that adults can also make use of. This conditioned bias is a major reason for why many people believe TrueArtIsAngsty.

Expect this phrase to be uttered in WorldHalfEmpty settings ''and'' RealLife. Especially by the more Machiavellian {{Real Politik}}ers when they lecture idealists about the deceptive dog-eat-dog world of international relations.

It's not all one-way, however; the idealist [[ShutUpHannibal may fire a few shots back in return]]. The cynic may be dismissed as a 'sell-out' who gave up on doing the right thing for their own selfish gain [[StrawVulcan under the false pretense of logic and realism]]. For instance certain characters just aren't willing to jeopardize their careers, and livelihoods just to change the status quo (Cynically this could be TruthInTelevision depending on how cynical, or "''realist''" one is). Or maybe he'll even be called a 'coward' and a weakling who gave up the good fight because he found it too hard and instead resigns oneself in {{wangst}}ing about bad things. For those kinds of call-outs, see SillyRabbitCynicismIsForLosers. Of course, a true cynic ''would'' also be cynical about their cynicism.

** To expand on it, Nozomu tells his class to write down their "Despairs for the future", essentially the students writing down their "Hopes for the future", what they are aiming at becoming, which Nozomu shoots down by saying "It's hopeless", and then giving them a BreakingLecture on their unrealistic goals... And then [[ThePollyanna Fuura Kafuka]] shoots HIM down simply by stating that no matter how unrealistic your goal is, as long as you do your best to achieve it "the possibility exists" that you'll succeed. [[hottip:* : Trivial note: It's later revealed that Kafuka's "Hopes/Despairs for the future" was to become "God, A Time Traveler, A Pororocian". [[MindScrew And that she was already dead when the story took place.]] ]]

** To expand on it, Nozomu tells his class to write down their "Despairs for the future", essentially the students writing down their "Hopes for the future", what they are aiming at becoming, which Nozomu shoots down by saying "It's hopeless", and then giving them a BreakingLecture on their unrealistic goals... And then [[ThePollyanna Fuura Kafuka]] shoots HIM down simply by stating that no matter how unrealistic your goal is, as long as you do your best to achieve it "the possibility exists" that you'll succeed. [[hottip:* : Trivial note: It's later revealed that Kafuka's "Hopes/Despairs for the future" was to become "God, A Time Traveler, A Pororocian". [[MindScrew And that she was already dead when the story took place.]]]]

** To expand on it, Nozomu tells his class to write down their "Despairs for the future", essentially the students writing down their "Hopes for the future", what they are aiming at becoming, which Nozomu shoots down by saying "It's hopeless", and then giving them a BreakingLecture on their unrealistic goals... And then [[ThePollyanna Fuura Kafuka]] shoots HIM down simply by stating that no matter how unrealistic your goal is, as long as you do your best to achieve it "the possibility exists" that you'll succeed. [[hottip:* : Trivial note: It's later revealed that Kafuka's "Hopes/Despairs for the future" was to become "God, A Time Traveler, A Pororocian".]]

* ''ASongOfIceAndFire'' seems to run on this trope.

* In International Relations theory, the two biggest (though by no means only) schools of thought are usually referred to as Liberalism, which believes that [[TheAlliance countries can]] [[WeAREStrugglingTogether work together]] and that [[GoodFeelsGood co-operation either is or should be a priority for countries in almost all circumstances and is mutually beneficial for all concerned]]; and Realism, which is a [[TheCynic rather more cynical take on things]] [[RealPolitik that suggests all countries are/should be]] [[ItsAllAboutMe out for themselves at all times]], are mutually hostile, and often are [[PretextForWar barely restrained from outright conflict]] at all times. Although realists were the ones who chose the label, so the choice was probably made with this trope in mind to suggest maturity and to downplay the 'silly' or 'naive' idealism of others.

When a character (primarily in dramas) is asked to go beyond their job and help with "a cause", the character sometimes refuses, and afterwards the other person asks, "What's happened to you?" or "Since when did you stop caring?" the answer sometimes comes down to the character saying, "[[GrowingUpSucks I grew up]]," implying that the character "grew" from a WideEyedIdealist to an [[TheCynic embittered cynic]]. It's also often used by the AntiHero or StrawNihilist to sneer at the idealistic methods and beliefs of the IdealHero and his ilk; such [[DumbIsGood naive]] and [[ChildrenAreInnocent childish]] wishful thinking has no place in the grown-up, random, [[SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism cynical]] world that the Anti Hero lives in. Alternatively, a RetiredBadass might have genuinely gotten too old or set in retirement to do what's being asked of them.

It's not all one-way, however; the idealist [[ShutUpHannibal may fire a few shots back in return]]. The cynic may be dismissed as a 'sell-out' who gave up on doing the right thing for their own selfish gain. For instance certain characters just aren't willing to jeopardize their careers, and livelihoods just to change the status quo (Cynically this could be TruthInTelevision depending on how cynical, or "''realist''" one is). Or maybe he'll even be called a 'coward' and a weakling who gave up the good fight because he found it too hard and instead resigns oneself in {{wangst}}ing about bad things. For those kinds of call-outs, see SillyRabbitCynicismIsForLosers. Of course, a true cynic ''would'' also be cynical about their cynicism.

Considering that many shows and media that are on the idealistic end of the SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism or are just plain LighterAndSofter are primarily targeted towards children, while cynical media are often targeted to adults or attract controversy from MoralGuardians, there can often be a tendency, especially among more cynical people, to associate idealism with childish or naive thinking, something to outgrow, rather than an actual, legitimate, motivating philosophy that adults can also make use of. This conditioned bias is a major reason for why many people believe TrueArtIsAngsty.

Expect this phrase to be uttered in WorldHalfEmpty settings ''and'' RealLife.

** In return, the idealists would fire back that it is simply because the system is "too corrupt" to let anyone who is an honest person, an idealist or anyone that is not a SleezyPolitician to take office.

* In the Lou Diamond Phillips film ''Extreme Justice'', a lot of the PowersThatBe appear to be this way when dealing with KnightTemplar cops. Mostly due to the fact they think the ends justify the means, and the lower level power's that be are largely useless due to being in fear of losing their jobs and pensions. And Lou Diamond Phillips' character is mostly seen as naive by his co-workers because he's trying to expose the corruption that people seem to passively aggressively support.