--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I am an absurd idealist. But I believe…" description: "\"I am an absurd idealist. But I believe that all that must come true. For, unless it comes true, the world will be laid desolate. And I believe that it ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d9/leslie-charteris-25701_absurd_i-am-an-absurd-idealist-but-i-believe-th_490164.jpg" --- # I am an absurd idealist. But I believe that all that must… ![“I am an absurd idealist. But I believe that all that must come true. For, unless it comes true, the world will be laid desolate. And I believe that it can come true. I believe that, by the grace of God, men will awake presently and be men again, and colour and laughter and splendid living will…” quote by Leslie Charteris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d9/leslie-charteris-25701_absurd_i-am-an-absurd-idealist-but-i-believe-th_490164.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d9/leslie-charteris-25701_absurd_i-am-an-absurd-idealist-but-i-believe-th_490164.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d9/leslie-charteris-25701_absurd_i-am-an-absurd-idealist-but-i-believe-th_490164.jpg) > “I am an absurd idealist. But I believe that all that must come true. For, unless it comes true, the world will be laid desolate. And I believe that it can come true. I believe that, by the grace of God, men will awake presently and be men again, and colour and laughter and splendid living will return to a grey civilisation. But that will only come true because a few men will believe in it, and fight for it, and fight in its name against everything that sneers and snarls at that ideal.” [Leslie Charteris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-charteris/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Belief in an ideal can inspire transformative change, but it requires a few courageous individuals to act against opposition. **In simple terms:** Idealism can drive societal renewal if committed people fight for it. Key Takeaway Cultivate belief and act to reshape society. Themes idealism hope courage societal change faith Mood hopeful determined inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - activism - community building - cultural revival - overcoming cynicism Key Concepts collective action visionary leadership spiritual conviction Questions to Reflect On - Who will you inspire to join your cause? - How can idealism be balanced with realistic action? A Different Perspective Idealism may falter without practical plans and broad support. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Absurd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absurd/) [Absurd Idealist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absurd-idealist-724924/) [Awake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/awake/) [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Civilisation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civilisation/) [Colour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/colour/) [Desolate Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desolate-believe-724925/) [Existentialism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existentialism/) [Fighting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fighting/) [Grace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grace/) [Grace of god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grace-of-god/) [Grey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grey/) [I believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-believe/) [Idealism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idealism/) [Idealist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idealist/) [Idealist Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idealist-believe-724923/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Laughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laughter/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Men Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-believe/) [Names](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/names/) [Return](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/return/) [Sneer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sneer/) [Splendid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/splendid/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [I am an absurd idealist. But I believe that all that must come true. For, unless it comes true, the world will be laid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-charteris/i-am-an-absurd-idealist-but-i-believe-that-all-that-must-come-true-2/) [Leslie Charteris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-charteris/) > [I could safely declare, I am an idealist... I believe in everything - I am only looking for proofs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/i-could-safely-declare-i-am-an-idealist-i-believe-in-everything-i-am/) [Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) > [I'm no idealist to believe firmly in the integrity of our courts and in the jury system - that is no ideal to me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/i-m-no-idealist-to-believe-firmly-in-the-integrity-of-our-courts-and/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [I am an idealist. I believe in everything — I am only looking for proofs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/i-am-an-idealist-i-believe-in-everything-i-am-only-looking-for-proofs/) [Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) > [“Foolish men always believe that a little knowledge will give them control over the world, but it is no more than a display of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-p-vinluca/foolish-men-always-believe-that-a-little-knowledge-will-give-them/) [J. P. Vinluca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-p-vinluca/) > [Power resides where men believe it to reside.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin-2/power-resides-where-men-believe-it-to-reside/) [George R. R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin-2/) > [If you would convince a man that he does wrong, do right. Men will believe what they see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-you-would-convince-a-man-that-he-does-wrong-do-right-men-will/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [One of the greatest and also the commonest of faults is for men to believe that, because they never hear their shortcomings spoken of,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-c-lichtenberg/one-of-the-greatest-and-also-the-commonest-of-faults-is-for-men-to/) [Georg C. Lichtenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-c-lichtenberg/) > [“I can’t think why men would believe that it is a better world where something beautiful is destroyed and something broken left in its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippa-gregory/i-can-t-think-why-men-would-believe-that-it-is-a-better-world-where/) [Philippa Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippa-gregory/) > [It is becoming impossible for those who mix at all with their fellow-men to believe that the grace of God is distributed denominationally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-ralph-inge/it-is-becoming-impossible-for-those-who-mix-at-all-with-their-fellow/) [William Ralph Inge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-ralph-inge/) > [“Eirikr lies on the table, staring into the night sky, staring at the uncountable stars that are shining brightly down on him. What lives,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-sedgwick/eirikr-lies-on-the-table-staring-into-the-night-sky-staring-at-the/) [Marcus Sedgwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-sedgwick/) > [“Many men believe in the saying that educating women is like allowing the nose of the camel into the tent: eventually the beast will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geraldine-brooks/many-men-believe-in-the-saying-that-educating-women-is-like-allowing/) [Geraldine Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geraldine-brooks/) > [If you would convince a man that he does wrong, do right. But do not care to convince him. Men will believe what they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-you-would-convince-a-man-that-he-does-wrong-do-right-but-do-not/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“True is what men believe, and they believe this of you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-miller/true-is-what-men-believe-and-they-believe-this-of-you/) [Madeline Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-miller/) > [Our toil must be in silence, and our efforts all in secret; for this enlightened age, when men believe not even what they see,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bram-stoker/our-toil-must-be-in-silence-and-our-efforts-all-in-secret-for-this/) [Bram Stoker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bram-stoker/) ## More by Leslie Charteris > [If I didn't see its place in the Saga when I planned it, I probably wouldn't write it at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-charteris/if-i-didn-t-see-its-place-in-the-saga-when-i-planned-it-i-probably/) [Leslie Charteris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-charteris/) > [“That, he said, was the way he stayed young—by refusing to take anything quite as seriously as he should have done.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-charteris/that-he-said-was-the-way-he-stayed-young-by-refusing-to-take-anything/) [Leslie Charteris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-charteris/) > [The gleam in their eyes telegraphs only too clearly that they are hoping for a headline, which of course means something disparaging, because nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-charteris/the-gleam-in-their-eyes-telegraphs-only-too-clearly-that-they-are/) [Leslie Charteris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-charteris/) > [“Let’s see what you’ve got—as the actress said to the bishop,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-charteris/let-s-see-what-you-ve-got-as-the-actress-said-to-the-bishop/) [Leslie Charteris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-charteris/) > [I am an absurd idealist. But I believe that all that must come true. For, unless it comes true, the world will be laid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-charteris/i-am-an-absurd-idealist-but-i-believe-that-all-that-must-come-true-2/) [Leslie Charteris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-charteris/) > [“It sounds good,” he said. “It’s the caterpillar’s spats!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-charteris/it-sounds-good-he-said-it-s-the-caterpillar-s-spats/) [Leslie Charteris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-charteris/) > [The reason is that for many years I have avoided reading anything whatsoever that approaches my own line of country, out of a somewhat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-charteris/the-reason-is-that-for-many-years-i-have-avoided-reading-anything/) [Leslie Charteris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-charteris/) > [“if you’d only met her in Gotham, for instance, I should have had a song all ready for you. When you came in, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-charteris/if-you-d-only-met-her-in-gotham-for-instance-i-should-have-had-a-song/) [Leslie Charteris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-charteris/) > [I had still never read one of the Bond books when the movie Dr. No came out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-charteris/i-had-still-never-read-one-of-the-bond-books-when-the-movie-dr-no/) [Leslie Charteris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-charteris/) > [Others, amounting to four novels and a mess of short stories which I did not think worth preserving, I have done my best to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-charteris/others-amounting-to-four-novels-and-a-mess-of-short-stories-which-i/) [Leslie Charteris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-charteris/) > [About the Saint's amorous adventures, by the way, I can't speak so brazenly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-charteris/about-the-saint-s-amorous-adventures-by-the-way-i-can-t-speak-so/) [Leslie Charteris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-charteris/) > [In 1939 I hadn't even realized that this was an immigration problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-charteris/in-1939-i-hadn-t-even-realized-that-this-was-an-immigration-problem/) [Leslie Charteris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-charteris/) > [Any stupid remark, quoted often enough, becomes gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-charteris/any-stupid-remark-quoted-often-enough-becomes-gospel/) [Leslie Charteris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-charteris/) > [It should cause no surprise that anyone so lazy as myself should be economical to the point of miserliness with everything he writes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-charteris/it-should-cause-no-surprise-that-anyone-so-lazy-as-myself-should-be/) [Leslie Charteris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-charteris/) > [“Regretfully, I have decided that if the Saint Saga must remain permanently in print in its entirety, then it can only do so in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-charteris/regretfully-i-have-decided-that-if-the-saint-saga-must-remain/) [Leslie Charteris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-charteris/) [Explore all 22 Leslie Charteris quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-charteris/) ## More Absurd quotes > [“It seem absurd to me that they don't know, haven't felt any change or tremor, even as my life has been completely turned upside…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/it-seem-absurd-to-me-that-they-don-t-know-haven-t-felt-any-change-or/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [When a person’s tongue is extensively wrong, it is absurd, no less than unscriptural, to say that their heart is right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-c-ryle/when-a-person-s-tongue-is-extensively-wrong-it-is-absurd-no-less-than/) [J. C. Ryle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-c-ryle/) > [Every sensible man, every honorable man, must hold the Christian sect in horror." "Christianity is the most ridiculous, the most absurd and bloody religion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/every-sensible-man-every-honorable-man-must-hold-the-christian-sect/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [It is human nature to think wisely and to act in an absurd fashion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatole-france/it-is-human-nature-to-think-wisely-and-to-act-in-an-absurd-fashion/) [Anatole France](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatole-france/) > [It is a dangerous and fateful presumption, besides the absurd temerity that it implies, to disdain what we do not comprehend. For after you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-a-dangerous-and-fateful-presumption-besides-the-absurd-temerity/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I thought to myself: if it’s true that every person has a star in the sky, mine must be distant, dim, and absurd. Perhaps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadegh-hedayat/i-thought-to-myself-if-it-s-true-that-every-person-has-a-star-in-the/) [Sadegh Hedayat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadegh-hedayat/) > [If, indeed, a firearm were more dangerous to its possessors than to potential aggressors, would it not make sense for the government to arm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/if-indeed-a-firearm-were-more-dangerous-to-its-possessors-than-to/) [David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/) > [“You were torturing a cat," she says. "With a freaking prod." "A prod I built myself in metal shop," he says. "But of course…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/you-were-torturing-a-cat-she-says-with-a-freaking-prod-a-prod-i-built/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [I have never heard enough classical music to be able to enjoy it; & the simple truth is, I detest it. Not mildly, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/i-have-never-heard-enough-classical-music-to-be-able-to-enjoy-it-the/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [To deprecate human reason by saying that none of us is or can be omniscient is absurd, for it takes an impossible standard as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-rothbard/to-deprecate-human-reason-by-saying-that-none-of-us-is-or-can-be/) [Murray Rothbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-rothbard/) > [“Rachel got up and did this happy little shuffle, like she was some cheerful farmer chick who'd just stepped outside to find the hick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/rachel-got-up-and-did-this-happy-little-shuffle-like-she-was-some/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [The absurd duty, too often inculcated, of obeying a parent only on account of his being a parent, shackles the mind, and prepares it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-wollstonecraft/the-absurd-duty-too-often-inculcated-of-obeying-a-parent-only-on/) [Mary Wollstonecraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-wollstonecraft/) > [The workman of today works every day in his life at the same tasks, and this fate is no less absurd. But it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/the-workman-of-today-works-every-day-in-his-life-at-the-same-tasks/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [I was once part of a Christmas cabaret. I sang 'I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus.' I tap-danced. I had a ten-gallon hat. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-dinklage/i-was-once-part-of-a-christmas-cabaret-i-sang-i-saw-mommy-kissing/) [Peter Dinklage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-dinklage/) > [Solitude produces originality, bold and astonishing beauty, poetry. But solitude also produces perverseness, the disproportianate, the absurd and the forbidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-mann/solitude-produces-originality-bold-and-astonishing-beauty-poetry-but/) [Thomas Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-mann/) [Browse all 1,644 Absurd quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absurd/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I am an absurd idealist. But I believe that all that must come true. For, unless it comes true, the world will be laid desolate. And I believe that it can come true. I believe that, by the grace of God, men will awake presently and be men again, and colour and laughter and splendid living will return to a grey civilisation. 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