--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The ideal is the only absolute real; and…" description: "\"The ideal is the only absolute real; and it must become the real in the individual life as well, however impossible they may count it who never tried i..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b17/george-macdonald-295_absolutes_the-ideal-is-the-only-absolute-real-and_245728.png" --- # The ideal is the only absolute real; and it must become… ![“The ideal is the only absolute real; and it must become the real in the individual life as well, however impossible they may count it who never tried it.” quote by George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b17/george-macdonald-295_absolutes_the-ideal-is-the-only-absolute-real-and_245728.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b17/george-macdonald-295_absolutes_the-ideal-is-the-only-absolute-real-and_245728.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b17/george-macdonald-295_absolutes_the-ideal-is-the-only-absolute-real-and_245728.png) > “The ideal is the only absolute real; and it must become the real in the individual life as well, however impossible they may count it who never tried it.” [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Idealism is the only true reality; striving for it transforms personal existence, despite doubts about feasibility. **In simple terms:** Pursue ideals to shape reality. Key Takeaway Aim high, act on ideals. Themes idealism determination self‑actualization Mood inspirational determined Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - goal setting - creative projects - personal transformation - leadership Key Concepts philosophy psychology motivation Questions to Reflect On - What ideal drives you despite obstacles? - How do you balance idealism with realism? A Different Perspective Idealism may clash with practical constraints. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Absolutes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absolutes/) [Ideals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideals/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Individual life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual-life/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) ## Related quotes > [“Everyone of our relationships with nature and man must be a definite expression of our real, individual life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-marx/everyone-of-our-relationships-with-nature-and-man-must-be-a-definite/) [Karl Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-marx/) > [“The only person that believes the absolute in you is your own real self...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saurabh-dudeja/the-only-person-that-believes-the-absolute-in-you-is-your-own-real/) [Saurabh Dudeja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saurabh-dudeja/) > [The amount of times my wife has rolled her eyes at board games is impossible to count.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-sommer/the-amount-of-times-my-wife-has-rolled-her-eyes-at-board-games-is/) [Rich Sommer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-sommer/) > [All that is active, all that is enveloped in time and space, is endowed with what might be described as an abstract, ideal and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/all-that-is-active-all-that-is-enveloped-in-time-and-space-is-endowed/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) > [“Progress is the goal, the ideal is the type. 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This will make your life almost impossible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eduardo-paes/don-t-ever-in-your-life-do-a-world-cup-and-the-olympic-games-at-the/) [Eduardo Paes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eduardo-paes/) > [Politics may be the art of the possible, but at least in life, give the impossible a go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/politics-may-be-the-art-of-the-possible-but-at-least-in-life-give-the/) [Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/) > [There will be time in life when there will be problems in life everything will seem impossible. But don't give up! Keep fighting. Determination…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/there-will-be-time-in-life-when-there-will-be-problems-in-life/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) ## More by George MacDonald > [“No revelation can be other than partial. 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She sweeps across the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/the-region-belonging-to-the-pure-intellect-is-straitened-the/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [Come, then, affliction, if my Father wills, and be my frowning friend. 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No, I don't That would be to take it from somebody else. But it's mine for all… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/i-wish-i-had-made-that-song-no-i-don-t-that-would-be-to-take-it-from/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [Past tears are present strength.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/past-tears-are-present-strength/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [Age is not all decay; it is the ripening, the swelling, of the fresh life within, that withers and bursts the husk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/age-is-not-all-decay-it-is-the-ripening-the-swelling-of-the-fresh/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [I want to help you grow as beautiful as God meant you to be when he thought of you first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/i-want-to-help-you-grow-as-beautiful-as-god-meant-you-to-be-when-he/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [“Immeasurably imperfect it was, but false the impression could not be, for she saw with the eyes made for seeing, and saw indeed what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/immeasurably-imperfect-it-was-but-false-the-impression-could-not-be/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [Those that hope little cannot grow much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/those-that-hope-little-cannot-grow-much/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) [Explore all 720 George MacDonald quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) ## More Absolutes quotes > [At the centre of the human heart is the longing for an absolute good, a longing which is always there and is never appeased…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/at-the-centre-of-the-human-heart-is-the-longing-for-an-absolute-good/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) > [There is no perfect justice, just as there is no absolute in ethics. 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He said he gave his son for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/those-are-decisions-only-the-lord-will-make-i-believe-the-love-of-god/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [“The Gods know what it is to be eternal, and they love to toy with mortals who use absolutes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-angelini/the-gods-know-what-it-is-to-be-eternal-and-they-love-to-toy-with/) [Josephine Angelini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-angelini/) > [Anarchy is the stepping stone to absolute power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/anarchy-is-the-stepping-stone-to-absolute-power/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [I was asked the other day if I would be interested in the Nobel Prize, but I think that for me it would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/i-was-asked-the-other-day-if-i-would-be-interested-in-the-nobel-prize/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [The only "definitive truth" for Buddhism is the absolute negation of any one truth as the Definitive Truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/the-only-definitive-truth-for-buddhism-is-the-absolute-negation-of/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [The nature of the Absolute is neither perceptible nor imperceptible; and with phenomena it is just the same. 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