--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I know ideals aren't realities, but they…" description: "\"I know ideals aren't realities, but they do influence reality - social, legal, political, cultural.\" — Roger Scruton" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92c/roger-scruton-971_influence_i-know-ideals-aren-t-realities-but-they_2896150.jpg" --- # I know ideals aren't realities, but they do influence… ![“I know ideals aren't realities, but they do influence reality - social, legal, political, cultural.” quote by Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92c/roger-scruton-971_influence_i-know-ideals-aren-t-realities-but-they_2896150.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92c/roger-scruton-971_influence_i-know-ideals-aren-t-realities-but-they_2896150.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92c/roger-scruton-971_influence_i-know-ideals-aren-t-realities-but-they_2896150.jpg) > “I know ideals aren't realities, but they do influence reality - social, legal, political, cultural.” [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Ideals shape societal structures even if they are unattainable, influencing law, culture, and politics. **In simple terms:** Ideas affect reality. Key Takeaway Recognize the power of ideals. Themes ideals influence society politics culture Mood analytical critical Type philosophical political When to use this quote - policy making - legal reform - cultural movements Key Concepts political theory social constructivism Questions to Reflect On - What ideals guide your actions? - How do ideals conflict with reality? A Different Perspective Ideals may clash with practical constraints. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Influence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/influence/) [Realities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realities/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Social](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social/) ## Related quotes > [“This is the only time for high ideals because those ideals are all that we have. We aren't just fighting for our physical survival,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-brooks/this-is-the-only-time-for-high-ideals-because-those-ideals-are-all/) [Max Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-brooks/) > [And it seems to me important for a country, for a nation to certainly know about its glorious achievements but also to know where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-takei/and-it-seems-to-me-important-for-a-country-for-a-nation-to-certainly/) [George Takei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-takei/) > [Alas! we know that ideals can never be completely embodied in practice. Ideals must ever lie a great way off--and we will thankfully content…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/alas-we-know-that-ideals-can-never-be-completely-embodied-in-practice/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [If one admits that the influence of the outside world is essentially beneficial, the lack of such influence during sleep would tend to diminish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/if-one-admits-that-the-influence-of-the-outside-world-is-essentially/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [“What causes all the hatred? At some level, it’s always the same thing: human beings operating under the influence of human brains whose design…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-wright/what-causes-all-the-hatred-at-some-level-it-s-always-the-same-thing/) [Robert Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-wright/) > [Divine favor causes you to rise to the top in your sphere of influence, and the reality is that favor can be recognized more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-johnson/divine-favor-causes-you-to-rise-to-the-top-in-your-sphere-of/) [Bill Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-johnson/) > [“There are two different kinds of people in the world. There are people who instinctively look for every chance to be a “victim” and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hawke/there-are-two-different-kinds-of-people-in-the-world-there-are-people/) [Christopher Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hawke/) > [“Magic exists in the minds of those who believe in it, not in its actual influence on reality.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-olde-heuvelt/magic-exists-in-the-minds-of-those-who-believe-in-it-not-in-its/) [Thomas Olde Heuvelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-olde-heuvelt/) > [When I say there is no such crime as date rape I am saying what is true. There isn't a specific legal category of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/when-i-say-there-is-no-such-crime-as-date-rape-i-am-saying-what-is/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [“Being and not being are not two different realities, but two different aspects of the same reality.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raheel-farooq/being-and-not-being-are-not-two-different-realities-but-two-different/) [Raheel Farooq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raheel-farooq/) > [“Remember, your audience is aware of the realities, but they would like to hear it from you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virender-kapoor/remember-your-audience-is-aware-of-the-realities-but-they-would-like/) [Virender Kapoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virender-kapoor/) > [...there's no rule book or game plan when it comes to the grim realities of our lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-elkeles/there-s-no-rule-book-or-game-plan-when-it-comes-to-the-grim-realities/) [Simone Elkeles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-elkeles/) > [For Jesus, heaven and hell were present realities. Ways of living we can enter into here and now. He talked very little of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-bell/for-jesus-heaven-and-hell-were-present-realities-ways-of-living-we/) [Rob Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-bell/) > [I think that once I started connecting dots of where my food was coming from and the reality of that, as opposed to maybe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-aries/i-think-that-once-i-started-connecting-dots-of-where-my-food-was/) [Austin Aries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-aries/) > [Woe to him whose beliefs play fast and loose with the order which realities follow in his experience; they will lead him nowhere or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/woe-to-him-whose-beliefs-play-fast-and-loose-with-the-order-which/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) ## More by Roger Scruton > [Beauty is vanishing from our world because we live as though it does not matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/beauty-is-vanishing-from-our-world-because-we-live-as-though-it-does/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [“So conceived, the English police force served to emphasize a fundamental truth about the English law, which is that it exists not to control…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/so-conceived-the-english-police-force-served-to-emphasize-a/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [My 2018 ended with a hate storm, in response to my appointment as chair of the government's Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/my-2018-ended-with-a-hate-storm-in-response-to-my-appointment-as/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [I've never been an optimist, but that's fine because pessimists have the possibility of being agreeably surprised.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/i-ve-never-been-an-optimist-but-that-s-fine-because-pessimists-have/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [Unlike every other product that is now manufactured for the table, wine exists in as many varieties as there are people who produce it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/unlike-every-other-product-that-is-now-manufactured-for-the-table/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [The abstract, unreal freedom of the liberal intellect was really nothing more than childish disobedience, amplified into anarchy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/the-abstract-unreal-freedom-of-the-liberal-intellect-was-really/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [“I think we can all see the force of the idea that there are certain things that cannot be done to human beings –…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/i-think-we-can-all-see-the-force-of-the-idea-that-there-are-certain/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [When art becomes merely shock value, our sense of humanity is slowly degraded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/when-art-becomes-merely-shock-value-our-sense-of-humanity-is-slowly/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [“Western democracies did not create the virtue of citizenship; on the contrary, they grew from it. Nothing is more evident in The Federalist than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/western-democracies-did-not-create-the-virtue-of-citizenship-on-the/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [“If one looks back to the French Revolution, one sees just how easy it is for the doctrine of “human rights” to become an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/if-one-looks-back-to-the-french-revolution-one-sees-just-how-easy-it/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [“I say it was immediately apparent, but it was not apparent to the intellectual class, which has remained largely wedded to the post-war consensus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/i-say-it-was-immediately-apparent-but-it-was-not-apparent-to-the/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [Conservatives hold on to things not only because they are attached to them, but also because they do not see the sense in radical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/conservatives-hold-on-to-things-not-only-because-they-are-attached-to/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [“Academic philosophers in the English speaking world still regard philosophy as Locke defined it in the 17th century, as “the handmaiden of the sciences”:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/academic-philosophers-in-the-english-speaking-world-still-regard/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [Delia Smith is, actually, my bete noire. I consider her a most pernicious influence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/delia-smith-is-actually-my-bete-noire-i-consider-her-a-most/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [Modern art was born from a desire to destroy kitsch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/modern-art-was-born-from-a-desire-to-destroy-kitsch/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) [Explore all 317 Roger Scruton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) ## More Influence quotes > [My coach, Robert Allen, helped me a lot. He had more influence on my growth as a player than anyone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lamarcus-aldridge/my-coach-robert-allen-helped-me-a-lot-he-had-more-influence-on-my/) [LaMarcus Aldridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lamarcus-aldridge/) > [Life is not about how much you have but how much you have affect others life positively.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-not-about-how-much-you-have-but-how-much-you-have-affect/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [DECIDE, v.i. To succumb to the preponderance of one set of influences over another set.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/decide-v-i-to-succumb-to-the-preponderance-of-one-set-of-influences/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [ Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. My three \[great teachers\] did not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/teaching-might-even-be-the-greatest-of-the-arts-since-the-medium-is/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [I really like a lot of American country stuff, so my music has that influence, but I don't like to be set within a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jade-bird/i-really-like-a-lot-of-american-country-stuff-so-my-music-has-that/) [Jade Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jade-bird/) > [Words can only have an effect on you if you choose to listen to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernajoy-vaal/words-can-only-have-an-effect-on-you-if-you-choose-to-listen-to-them/) [Bernajoy Vaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernajoy-vaal/) > [Treason implies responsibility for something, control over something, influence upon something, knowledge of something. Treason in our time is a proof of genius. Why,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/treason-implies-responsibility-for-something-control-over-something/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > [... a fellow can't predict what he will pick up in the form of influence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/a-fellow-can-t-predict-what-he-will-pick-up-in-the-form-of-influence/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [We believe a scientist because he can substantiate his remarks, not because he is eloquent and forcible in his enunciation. In fact, we distrust…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i-a-richards/we-believe-a-scientist-because-he-can-substantiate-his-remarks-not/) [I. A. Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/i-a-richards/) > [It seemed to me that the human beings I met reacted pretty much the same to the same stimuli. Different idioms,yes. Circumstances and conditions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zora-neale-hurston/it-seemed-to-me-that-the-human-beings-i-met-reacted-pretty-much-the/) [Zora Neale Hurston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zora-neale-hurston/) > [Every man is a missionary, now and forever, for good or for evil, whether he intends or designs it or not. He may be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-chalmers/every-man-is-a-missionary-now-and-forever-for-good-or-for-evil/) [Thomas Chalmers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-chalmers/) > [My influences are jazz, blues, European classical music; they are rock music and pop music. So many kinds of music. World music from different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rokia-traore/my-influences-are-jazz-blues-european-classical-music-they-are-rock/) [Rokia Traore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rokia-traore/) > [Influences come from everywhere. I don't really feel like I had too many influences for the first record because I grew up listening to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avril-lavigne/influences-come-from-everywhere-i-don-t-really-feel-like-i-had-too/) [Avril Lavigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avril-lavigne/) > [It was both necessary and desirable for us to be so strong at sea that no Sea Power could attack us without risk, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernhard-von-bulow/it-was-both-necessary-and-desirable-for-us-to-be-so-strong-at-sea/) [Bernhard von Bulow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernhard-von-bulow/) > [Obligation is what's leading us to toward successful, and what keeps us moving towards the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wazim-shaw/obligation-is-what-s-leading-us-to-toward-successful-and-what-keeps/) [Wazim Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wazim-shaw/) [Browse all 7,121 Influence quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/influence/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I know ideals aren't realities, but they do influence reality - social, legal, political, cultural.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Roger Scruton" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/i-know-ideals-aren-t-realities-but-they-do-influence-reality-social/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Influence" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/i-know-ideals-aren-t-realities-but-they-do-influence-reality-social/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92c/roger-scruton-971_influence_i-know-ideals-aren-t-realities-but-they_2896150.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92c/roger-scruton-971_influence_i-know-ideals-aren-t-realities-but-they_2896150.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92c/roger-scruton-971_influence_i-know-ideals-aren-t-realities-but-they_2896150.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I know ideals aren't realities, but they do influence reality - social, legal, political, cultural.” — Roger Scruton", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Roger Scruton", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I know ideals aren't realities, but...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/i-know-ideals-aren-t-realities-but-they-do-influence-reality-social/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/i-know-ideals-aren-t-realities-but-they-do-influence-reality-social/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```