Recognizing the Realistic

"If anything the founders were realists"
In our discussion of the federalist papers today, i realized that the founders never believed that they were creating the perfect, ideal government with delusional ideals full of virtuous men. They recognized that men are not all angels. Men, and Americans are no exception, are motivated by self-interest and will rarely if ever put that aside for the greater good. The functionality of this country was stemmed from that realization that no one is perfect and people will seek for their own gain and was able to harness that into our wonderful system of checks and balances.
With government and with life grad illusions of the Utopian person or environment often lead to disappointment and despair. The truth is that no one is perfect and that the yearned-for illusion that something or someone is perfect--or that we must be perfect--can never happen. Realizing I, and all those around me, have flaws is part of the journey and it is our battle against these expected failings that we grow. Realizing the human characteristic in ourselves and each other lets us take mistakes without grief and come closer to the only one in whom we find salvation.