POCO POCO

One wonders why the Indonesians have not accused Malaysians of stealing one of their national treasures the poco poco – a modern upbeat Nusantara version of line-dancing which first appeared among the military of Indonesia and quickly spread into the wider Indonesian social scene.

The dance was soon spotted by fun-loving Malaysians, crossed the seas and  has become a popular feature of many a Malaysian social event including weddings. Unlike in Indonesia where the men participate fully in interpreting  the basic and fancy steps, in Malaysia the women are more enthused.

Poco-poco classes are run astride the ballroom, belly dance, salsa and other exotic dance movements. Among many women’s groups it is executed for hours on end, before or after a meal. It is regarded as a healthy pastime which has the incidental benefit of a communal form of exercise. Fun while you sweat! And then you can eat to your heart’s desire!

As with many of the older communal dance rituals like the joget, inang and zapin, Malaysians can’t really claim the poco poco copyrights as they originated from the folk dances of other countries and cultures.

The earliest folk dances in many cultures were line dances, originating before social proprieties allowed men and women to dance together in couple dances. In early forms men and women often danced in separate lines, but the same dances are often done today in mixed lines. The Balkan countries, among others, have a rich tradition of line dance surviving to the present. These folk line dances are also performed in the international folk dance movement. Folk line dances have many forms: pairs of lines in which the dancers face each other, or a line formed into a circle, or the line follows a leader around the dance floor. The dancers may hold hands with their neighbors, or use an arm-on-shoulder hold, or hold their neighbor’s belts. ^[2]

Although line dancing is associated with country-western music and dance, it has a similarities to folk dancing.^[3] Many folk dances are danced in unison in a single, nonlinear “line”, and often with a connection between dancers. The absence of a physical connection between dancers is, however, a distinguishing feature of country western line dance. Line dances have accompanied many popular music styles since the early 1970s including pop, swing, rock and roll, disco, latin (Salsa Suelta), and Jazz.^[4]

The Madison was a popular line dance in the late 1950s. At least five line dances that are strongly associated with country-western music were written in the 1970s, two of which are dated to 1972: “Walkin’ Wazi”^[5][6] and “Cowboy Boogie”,^[7][8][9] five years before the disco craze created by the release of Saturday Night Fever in 1977, the same (approximate) year the “Tush Push” was created.^[10] The “L.A. Hustle” began in a small Los Angeles disco in the Summer of 1975, and hit the East Coast (with modified steps) in Spring of ‘76 as the “Bus Stop.^[11] Another 70s line dance is the “NutBush”.^[12]

Over a dozen line dances were created during the 1980s for country songs.[2][3] The 1980 film Urban Cowboy reflected the blurring of lines between country music and pop, and spurred renewed interest in country culture, and western fashion, music, and dance.^[13] “Boot Scootin’ Boogie” was choreographed by Bill Bader in October of 1990 for the original Asleep at the Wheel recording of the song of the same name.[4][5] The Brooks and Dunn version of the song has resulted in there being at least 16 line dances with “Boot Scootin’ Boogie” in the title,^[14] including one by Tom Maddox and Skippy Blair under contract to the recording company.^[15]

Billy Ray Cyrus‘ 1992 hit Achy Breaky Heart, helped catapult western line dancing into the mainstream public consciousness.^[16] In 1994 choreographer Max Perry had a worldwide dance hit with “Swamp Thang” for the song of the same name by The Grid. This was a techno song that fused banjo sounds in the melody line and helped to start a trend of dancing to forms of music other than country. In this mid 1990s period country western music was influenced by the popularity of line dancing. This influence was so great that Chet Atkins was quoted as saying “The music has gotten pretty bad, I think. It’s all that damn line dancing.” ^[17]

Max Perry, along with Jo Thompson, Scott Blevins and several others, began to use ballroom rhythms and technique to take line dancing to the next level. In 1998, the band Steps created further interest outside of the U.S. with the techno dance song 5,6,7,8. In 1999 the Gap retailer debuted the “Khaki Country” ad on the Academy Awards ceremony. [6] Line dancers performed to the 1999 version of Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Dwight Yoakum. Line dance now has very traditional dances to country music, and not so traditional dances to non country music.

Line dancing is practiced and learned in country-western dance bars, social clubs, dance clubs and ballrooms worldwide. It avoids the problem of imbalance of male/female partners that plagues ballroom/swing/salsa dancing clubs. It is sometimes combined on dance programs with other forms of country-western dance, such as two-step, and western promenade dances, as well as western-style variants of the waltz, polka and swing.

The Macarena and the Chicken Dance, the later of which is danced in a circle, are other examples of line dance.

Line dancing reached Europe, nourished by the arrival of Country Music Television,^[18][19] and in 2008 gained the attention of the French government.^[20]

^{* excerpt from Wilkipedia}

 

 

GTP

If all Cabinet Ministers and State Ministers are like Datuk Seri Idris Jala - the new Minister in the Prime Minister’s department - the Malaysian government will be drastically transformed and through it all the relevant cogs in the nation’s wheel, including those of the private sector.

For there’s no doubt that the efficiency and efficacy of the public sector has a direct bearing on the efficiency and efficacy of the business and commercial sectors. The philosophy, ethics and principles of good governance adopted and practised by the government directly influences what goes on in the other sectors of the country, their effects and influences being greatly interrelated and largely reciprocal.

The former Shell Director and Malaysian Airlines CEO together with a government old hand Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon are tasked with the responsibility of drawing up a roadmap for the Government Transformation Programme (GTP). Under this iniative lies the working mechanisms for the Key Performance Indicators and National Key Result Areas, the two initiatives announced by the Prime Minister earlier, to ensure that the country achieves the developed nation status envisioned in Vision 2020, and meets with the current national goals and objectives.

One can say that the Government Transformation Programme is Datuk Seri Najib’s bid to come up with a freshly articulated national philosophy/ mission/ goal and objective/ strategy/ mechanism that will define his premiership just as Vision 2020 has done for Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. If/ When fully executed the GTP bears the promise of a national legacy worthy of a smart and dynamic leader leading his country to greater heights of development.    

Two weeks ago at the MABC (Malaysian Australian Business Council) annual dinner, I had the privilege of listening to Idris Jala detailing his team’s efforts clearly and directly. The general impression was that it was indeed refreshing to see a Minister, not spewing out the usual rhetoric and promises but actually presenting his current work in a power point presentation.

It was unusual because it was presented not in the conference room for a closed-door office briefing but on stage to a dinner audience of more than five hundred people.

 

What was unfolded by Idris Jala was not so much the grand master plan but the actual workings of the 8 laboratories established to brainstorm and thrash out the best ways to achieve the 6 KRAs identified by the Prime Minister. Each laboratory comprises 20 of the best brains in the civil service who have to come up with radical, practical and innovative solutions to the nation’s worst woes. Moderated by efficient and independent facilitators, the labs represent a bid to spearhead and coordinate the work of all the Ministries under one roof so to speak – when in the past it was diffused and dispersed in different directions with a lot of wastage and damage.

Idris Jala announced that some time in December, the public, media, NGOs and civil servants will be invited to view the results and products of the labs and they will have the opportunity to give their feedback. In early 2010 the grand master plan or the entire road map will be available for public scrutiny. Only then will the rakyat be able to see how the GTP complements the other government initiatives like the NEP, the anti-corruption and crime reduction, education and welfare programmes.

What Idris Jala is doing is to motivate, inspire and activate mechanisms and personnel who are stuck in the malaise of a bureaucracy and an administrative system that has inherited a host of bad habits and poor work ethics made worse by a lack of integrity.

What we hope Idris Jala will also do is to inject a new esprit de corps among the civil servants to have pride in serving the nation honourably, ethically, responsibly, selflessly, efficiently, effectively and diligently!

TALL ORDER IDRIS?     

 

SOFT STAND

While some will applaud the Prime Minister’s realistic stand on corruption, others even from among his supporters will think that the stand is not strong enough!

“Let’s be realistic, there cannot be absolute zero corruption but if we show seriousness (in going after those involved), I believe we can bring the numbers down considerably.”

*The Star, Saturday 31 October 2009

” Let us be realistic. We cannot put a zero to all these but we are serious and I believe the task force could reduce the number of cases once serious action is taken”

*New Straits Times Saturday, October 31, 2009

While promising that the task force will investigate the serious cases higlighted in the Auditor General’s report and serious action will be taken against the wrongdoers, Dato’ Seri Najib clarifies that the action may be administrative and not necessarily legal.

The setting up of a government task force comprising the country’s top civil servants to investigate the wrongdoings of government departments and the civil servants managing them may be seen as innovative but the fight against corruption and its perpetrators is not!

The fact that the police and the MACC have been actively involved, especially recently, in bringing to book those involved in bribery and corruption both in the public and private sectors shows that the authorities are indeed starting to seriously walk the talk. The fact that more people, including the whistleblowers, are coming forward to report on real and perceived cases of abuse of power and authority shows that the Malaysian public want a cleaner, corruption-free society.  

Granted the task force is set up to investigate the abuses and wrongdoings unearthed in the Auditor General’s Report! It is only right that government servants are assessed against the government rules and regulations that bind them in their duties and responsibilities. It is only fair that the action taken against those found guilty of committing a clear breach of trust be commensurate with the regulations that are in place.

However, one must bear in mind that the chain of wrongdoing is long and entangling. Government departments purchase products and equipment or obtain the services and consultancy of parties in the private sector. Granted there will be those who are unknowingly or naively roped in by the unscrupulous businessmen and contractors. But there are an equal number of people who act with their eyes open and their palms outstretched and ready to be greased.

In order to be dead serious in the fight against corruption, the government must not be seen to be soft and compromising, especially with their officers whose duty it is to serve the people - not hoodwink or rob them! If the top leadership is seen as being compassionate in order to win hearts and minds, the public thinking and tidak apa attitude will not change. 

Malaysians need to be jolted out of their apathy and lackadaisical attitude towards morality and accept responsibility for the society that they themselves have created!   

 

LOYALTY TO ROYALTY

It’s not always easy to handle royal matters in the Malaysian system of parliamentary democracy where the Malay Rulers play more than a ceremonial role in  the system of  constitutional monarchy.

…Under  Article 32 of the Federal Constitution, as Head of State, the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong takes precedence over all persons in the Federation. He serves as the symbol of democratic rule and national solidarity and is revered as protector of the Islamic faith. The Constitution provides that he shall not be liable to any proceedings whatsoever in any court except in a special court established under the Constitution. The Raja Permaisuri Agong, the King’s consort, comes next in the order of precedence.

While the Constitution gives the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong wide powers with prescribed roles and functions in all three branches of the Government, it also provides for the country’s Paramount Ruler to act on the advice of the Prime Minister in all matters concerning national interest. Parliament convenes at his pleasure and cannot be dissolved without his consent. Indeed he is one of the three components of Parliament, the other two being the Dewan Rakyat (House of Representatives) and the Dewan Negara (Senate). Bills passed by Parliament do not become law until he grants his assent. If the situation warrants it he may, on the advice of the Prime Minister, declare a state of emergency and suspend Parliament…

…At the State level the Head of State is the Sultan (Yang Di-Pertuan Besar in Negeri Sembilan and Raja in Perlis). or the Yang di-Pertua Negeri in states that are not under the Malay Rulers. The Menteri Besar heads the State Government, except in Penang, Melaka, Sabah and Sarawak which are headed by the Ketua Menteri (Chief Minister).

Under the practice of parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy, the power of the people is exercised through Parliament with executive powers lying with the Cabinet. For any act of Government to be exercised the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong receives the advice of the Prime Minister, the Minister in charge or other relevant authorities…

*excerpt from THE KING, THE MAN (2006)

It’s not easy having to accomodate the adat and daulat of the nine Malay Rulers and the customs and traditions of the four states under the Yang Di-Pertua Negeri, each with its own idiosyncratic rituals and protocol. As head of Islam in their respective states, the nine Malay Rulers play a significant role in consolidating the many aspects of the Faith, including its practices.

The relationship between the Menteri Besar and the Sultan/Raja/Yang di-Pertuan Besar and the Royal House is therefore of the utmost importance in ensuring that matters of state and royal affairs are executed smoothly and amicably. For if the relationship is not smooth or amicable, there will arise tensions and pretensions!

Perhaps official matters are easier to handle than personal ones as protocol and government procedures fall under strict regulatory practices and there are clear guidelines to ensure there are no abuses or shortcomings in the state ethics, etiquette and decorum.

Handling the personal idiosyncracies and ethical standards of both the Ruler and his chief minister is more difficult. This is where slip-ups and errors of judgement may occur! This is where the Ruler and his chief minister may not see eye to eye and the relationship is strained!

What if the State Ruler and his family want  to undertake certain things like acquiring land or a business which are not within the State Government’s jurisdiction to approve? What if  H.H. wants to confer the state awards on his birthday on people whom the State Government committee find unsuitable? Clearly some dispute will arise and each side will perceive the other as being unreasonable and overstepping their line of duty.

Therefore, the rakyat’s pledge of loyalty to royalty must be reciprocated by the pledge of loyalty by royalty - that is, loyalty to the customs and traditions of Islam  and the laws of the land which govern the rakyat’s lives whether our blood is red or blue, black  or white!

Attached to this mutual loyalty is mutual respect! To gain the respect of the rakyat, the Malay Rulers must demonstrate the highest standards of conduct and behaviour. The rakyat in turn must show the highest regard for the Malay Rulers and the government.

At the heart of the Malay Muslim world is Islam’s tenets and teachings to uphold honesty and truthfulness, justice and fairness, integrity and honour! The government, the country’s laws and good governance are only the formal aspects of life! The same principles apply in our daily lives!

 

 

 

ADAT ISTIADAT

Sunday 7 APRIL 1968

Absented myself from Istiadat Bersiram to avoid any further unpleasant argumentation with H.H. on the subject of gambling. Latest report from CPO at 11 pm last night said that moderately heavy rain had fallen at Sri Menanti preventing people from visiting the gambling booths; licenses had been issued the operators for games of skill only; the Kuala Pilah police as well as additional men from Seremban had been deployed at the gambling site and these men had kept all the booths under close observation. It  seemed impossible that any heavy gambling could have been carried out under the circumstances…

 

Monday 8 APRIL 1968

7.30 am Proceeded to Sri Menanti in ceremonial dress with wife, arriving at the Istana at 8.30 am. 8.45 – 9.52 am Arrival of VVIPs i.e. Rulers Representatives, Diplomats, Federal Ministers, Lord President, Speakers of Federal Parliament. Tun Razak arrived late. 9.55 am The Tengku arrived as Representative of the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong.

10.22 am The Installation Ceremony proper started and proceeded without a hitch. A new Bentara did not follow the ludicrous procedure of standing on one foot while announcing the commencement of the ceremony. The mengadap menjunjung Duli part of the ceremony was simplified: the Undangs, Pengulus luak and datos lembaga did not have to crawl and laboriously climb the seven tiers of the singgahsana as for the installation of the late Yam Tuan and the lembagas of the four Undangs paid homage in a body, not individually as before.

I read out the Loyal Address without any nervousness. The Speaker Dewan Rakyat and Dato Wong Pow Nee congratulated me afterward for having delivered the speech in a calm, unhurried manner. H.H. also read out his speech from the throne with conspicuous distinction…

 

ADAT AND DAULAT

18 APRIL 1967                                                                          9 MUHARRAM 1387

Public Holiday for the funeral of H.H. Tuanku Munawir.

Had early lunch at 11 am and proceeded to Sri Menanti, arriving there at 12 noon. Large number of people already gathered at the Istana, in black and bare-headed (latest adat dictum decided by royal decree). At 12.45 pm the S.S. (State Secretary) and I were called up by the Tengku Ampuan who enquired who the new Ruler selected by the Undangs was. I said I hadn’t been informed by the Undangs who had decided not to disclose the name until the actual announcement at 2.15pm. 2pm Ceremony began.

The Undang of Jelebu deputising for D.K. (Datuk Kelana) announced that T.J. (Tengku Jaafar) had been unanimously selected by the four Undangs as the new Ruler. There was a stunned silence following the announcement. Apparently everyone expected T. Muhriz would be selected. The “daulat Tuanku” response from the assembled people was therefore not over-enthusiastic. The orphaned children cried but not T. Muhriz.

The funeral at 4 pm was carried out without a hitch. A very large number of people attending the funeral.

 

19 APRIL 1967                                                                     10 MUHARRAM 1387

Handed to S.S. Undang Jelebu’s typed proclamation of T.J. as the newly elected Y.D.B. of N.S. ( Yang di-Pertuan Besar Negeri Sembilan). The S.S. suggested that now the new Y.D.B. had been constitutionally elected there was no point in continuing to tell the white lie. So I rang up the Jelebu Undang and obtained his permission to disclose the whole secret to members of EXCO…

 

 

* entries in the diary of Tan Sri Datuk Dr Mohamad Said bin Mohamed ( M.B.N.S. – Menteri Besar Negeri Sembilan, 1959-1969)

 

 

INCLUSIVENESS

“inclusiveness” is a much-used word these days. Lest the word becomes just another cliche or slogan, we should try to understand its meaning and implications more clearly.

Put simply it means “the act of including or embracing all sections of society or a party”. It implies among other things “the generosity of spirit, compassion and understanding” one shows in dealing with people who are not part of one’s immediate group.   

In his inaugural address, the UMNO President specifically calls for a new inclusiveness in the party spirit. He urges the Malay political party to embrace the other ethnic groups in its plans and strategies. While remaining true to its original cause of championing Malay interests, UMNO can afford to be more generous true to the spirit of 1 Malaysia. In handling the Malay cause itself, UMNO can be less exclusive and consider the aspirations of the other Malays in the country. 

For too long the UMNO members have considered Malay interests to be their sole prerogative. Throughout its history UMNO has given itself the monopoly over the Malay cause, often putting aside the efforts of the other Malay groups. It was as though UMNO alone cared if the Malays languished or prospered!

While this is an effective political strategy to maintain UMNO’s standing, more and more it is proving to be ineffective in rallying support from the electorate who see the UMNO club as being too exclusive, its members as being too arrogant and self-serving.

To translate the President’s call for greater inclusiveness, UMNO members must extend their hand to the greater community – to the other Malays and the other ethnic groups - for greater collaborative efforts. The interests of the Malays or any of the other ethnic groups are nobody’s monopoly but their own. We decide what we want for ourselves and we strive to make it work. This is the strength and the conviction that must be imbibed in and by all Malaysians.

 

MASJID DAN PERNIAGAAN

Saranan Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir untuk menjadikan masjid suatu medan perniagaan dan ummah yang mengunjunginya peniaga yang dapat menjana pendapatan lumayan tidak tepat sama sekali.

Bukan sahaja idea ini menyimpang daripada peranan masjid dan tanggungjawab anggotanya untuk mengendalikan aktiviti keagamaan, ia akan mengelirukan ummah Islam yang akan menganggap perniagaan lebih menarik daripada amal ibadat.  

Perbandingan yang dibuat dengan Masjid Nabawi di Madinah atau Masjidil Haram di Mekah juga perlu diteliti dengan lebih mendalam. Benarkah perniagaan di sekitar kawasan masjid ini dilakukan oleh anggota masjid untuk menjana pendapatannya? Adakah peniaga yang berjual di sekeliling kawasan masjid ini menghulurkan sebahagian daripada keuntungan mereka kepada tabung masjid?

Jika benar pun ini berlaku, saya masih menkhuatiri saranan Mukhriz untuk membangunkan usahawan untuk Kariah Masjid ( muka 5 Utusan Malaysia, 19 Oktober).

Mengapa perlu dibawa perniagaan ke venu yang harus menumpukan segala usaha ke arah memupuk pendidikan moral dan keagamaan? Mengapa peranan utama  ini dikelirukan dengan matlamat perniagaan?

Soal-soal penting seperti membentuk ummah Islam yang tinggi darjatnya harus difikirkan dengan lebih teliti memandangkan ketipisan pengetahuan dan iltizam tentang perkara ini! Bengkel-bengkel pendidikan dan pendedahan harus diadakan dengan lebih teratur yang memberi pedoman dan ajaran tentang penghalusan akhlak dan budaya, peninggian integriti dan ketelusan, peningkatan kemahiran keibubapaan – bukan kemahiran berniaga yang sudahpun dijalankan dengan meluas oleh UMNO dan agensi -agensi yang lain!  

Jika benar UMNO hendak memupuk semangat kekitaan atau “inclusiveness”, yang sepatutnya disarankan oleh Mukhriz ialah  sifat keterbukaan masjid yang perlu diterjemahkan kepada aktiviti aktiviti di mana pakar -pakar dalam bidang sains sosial diundang untuk membantu anggota masjid dalam usaha seharian.

Elok juga sekira-nya bengkel-bengkel ini dimanfaatkan oleh kaum lain untuk menyambut laungan SATU MALAYSIA! Alangkah baik jika kaum bukan Islam didedahkan kepada ajaran Islam untuk memperkukuhkan pengetahuan serta menjalin sillaturrahim antara kaum.

 

BAWDY JOKES

What a let down!

Just when I thought the UMNO leadership is dead serious in transforming not only the party constitution but the culture and thinking of its members through in-reach and out-reach reforms, there came a series of badly executed jokes from the party leaders including, surprisingly, an otherwise earnest party President!

The brilliant oratorical feat of the UMNO President would have gone down in history as the best had the opening address been complimented/ complemeted by an equally impressive closing! Which the substance of it was… until it was thought necessary to play up to the galleys by inserting a few bawdy jokes! 

Then true to UMNO culture, the crowd was roused to near-delirium with the heart-crackling and tear-trickling euphora of party solidarity. The UMNO members from all levels of the party hierarchy were united in spirit and recharged to translate the calls made by the top leadership into grassroots reality. The branch and division chiefs of the three wings will go home  empowered with new energies to execute the President’s and Deputy President’s bidding in their domain of political power and influence.

No doubt I will be accused of being a disgruntled, grouchy, frustrated, ill-informed kill-joy of an armchair critic - turned - citizen journalist with nothing better to do than to snoop into the habits of the UMNO Malays/ malaise. All of which I probably am at different points of my perjuangan demi bangsa, agama dan negara! And of course bahasa!

But I can’t for the life of me understand why it is necessary to turn bawdy and raunchy when you are trying so hard to be serious and knock sense into your congregation! To my own disadvantage I suppose, I can’t accept the fact that in order to be popular one has to give in to the popular culture that has penetrated the otherwise sedate – beradat dan beradab - Malays!

I can only think of one explanation which of course can be refuted at will! The Malays are basically orang kampung, simple out-of-town folk who are at their best when they are chatting informally in the kedai kopi. Here, the true Malay genius and wit surfaces as well as their folksy political insights.

The formal ambience of the PWTC dewan set up for a party general assembly can be intimidating or exhilarating depending on your own particular perspective. However, the etiquette of the event would normally require a certain level of formality in attire, demeanour, language use and behaviour! This the Malays must understand and accept whatever their level of achievement! Their leaders especially must maintain a certain level of decorum which the crowd will observe and emulate!

True – you would want lighter moments in an act of communication! A measure of informality always wins hearts and minds! A few bawdy jokes gives the occasion a magical air of exuberance. Which it did!

But it left sour grapes like me wondering! Was it really necessary to veer away from the seriousness of the event and its pleas and take away some of their bite? Why leave that bad taste in the mouth?

I would have liked to preserve in my mind a picture of the UMNO President and all the President’s men earnest and serious instead of schoolboyish and impish!

 

SHARED DREAMS

About 4 Temperaments

Overview The Guardians

The Idealists

The Artisans The Rationals

All Idealists (NFs) share the following core characteristics:

• Idealists are enthusiastic, they trust their intuition, yearn for romance, seek their true self, prize meaningful relationships, and dream of attaining wisdom.
• Idealists pride themselves on being loving, kindhearted, and authentic.
• Idealists tend to be giving, trusting, spiritual, and they are focused on personal journeys and human potentials.
• Idealists make intense mates, nurturing parents, and inspirational leaders.

Idealists, as a temperament, are passionately concerned with personal growth and development. Idealists strive to discover who they are and how they can become their best possible self — always this quest for self-knowledge and self-improvement drives their imagination. And they want to help others make the journey. Idealists are naturally drawn to working with people, and whether in education or counseling, in social services or personnel work, in journalism or the ministry, they are gifted at helping others find their way in life, often inspiring them to grow as individuals and to fulfill their potentials.Idealists are sure that friendly cooperation is the best way for people to achieve their goals. Conflict and confrontation upset them because they seem to put up angry barriers between people. Idealists dream of creating harmonious, even caring personal relations, and they have a unique talent for helping people get along with each other and work together for the good of all. Such interpersonal harmony might be a romantic ideal, but then Idealists are incurable romantics who prefer to focus on what might be, rather than what is. The real, practical world is only a starting place for Idealists; they believe that life is filled with possibilities waiting to be realized, rich with meanings calling out to be understood. This idea of a mystical or spiritual dimension to life, the “not visible” or the “not yet” that can only be known through intuition or by a leap of faith, is far more important to Idealists than the world of material things.

Highly ethical in their actions, Idealists hold themselves to a strict standard of personal integrity. They must be true to themselves and to others, and they can be quite hard on themselves when they are dishonest, or when they are false or insincere. More often, however, Idealists are the very soul of kindness. Particularly in their personal relationships, Idealists are without question filled with love and good will. They believe in giving of themselves to help others; they cherish a few warm, sensitive friendships; they strive for a special rapport with their children; and in marriage they wish to find a “soulmate,” someone with whom they can bond emotionally and spiritually, sharing their deepest feelings and their complex inner worlds.

Idealists are relatively rare, making up no more than 15 to 20 percent of the population. But their ability to inspire people with their enthusiasm and their idealism has given them influence far beyond their numbers.

Princess Diana, Joan Baez, Albert Schweitzer, Bill Moyers, Eleanor Roosevelt, Mohandas Gandhi, Mikhael Gorbachev, and Oprah Winfrey are examples of Idealists.

A full description of the Idealist is in People Patterns or Please Understand Me II

A List of Famous Idealists

Idealist Quotes

Idealists as Mates

The four types of Idealists are:

 

 

 

Champion | Counselor | Healer | Teacher