Being naive?

Some people tend to interpret ideals or believes, no matter if they are realistic or not, as "naive", which I find strange. What is wrong with having a goal, a dream or even just a hopeful thought that things can become better? Because it doesn't mean that the person having these so called naive thoughts or opinions really are naive in the real sense, being immature, starry-eyed*, not realizing the difficulties and obstacles, believing that there one day will be a perfect world with perfect people. There might be some people like that, but the threshold is quite low for what is put in that "box"** of Naive People. The same thing goes especially for being what some call "idealist"? I perceive it as being used by some as a "nicer" way of saying "idiot".

I have one single question: What is wrong with striving?!

It seem to be fine for most as long as you are striving for your own, very personal goals (money, success etc.) but as soon it hasn't got anything directly connected to yourself, you can be dismissed as a non-realistic person who is living on another planet and therefore not a person that others has to take seriously. I know that I might be exaggerating but the fact is that even if not everyone are that blunt*** or even using these words, the way they really think is easy to see in their faces and hear in their voices. Sometimes I wonder exactly HOW cynical I have to get before acting as most people seem to be doing? Considering what has happened during the last year or so, I would have hoped to have passed that limit for cynicism but that is obviously not the case.

* Blå-ögd
** In lack of a better word. "Placeras i ett visst fack".

*** Rättfram