As far as I can recall, I have never had a model which I have refered as: “that is my idol” or “when I get older I want to be as s/he”. On the other hand, I grew up with a bundle of ideals.
From this bunch, some ideals have flourished, others have perished, others have transformed, and new ones had emerged. But days as today I wonder, how does other human beings function into this area?, does it make sense to have ideals? if it is always needed either one or if it is not needed at all.
It might be a non transcendental question at all, or even a silly one. But, at moments this kind of burst questions appear in my system (which can give me a headache and/or lose me completely in the confusion space). Why individuals do, what they do in the way they do it? (that includes myself).
Even though, it exists TONS of different research around this topic, and a diversity of disciplines offer a little potential piece of this puzzle (psychology, anthropology, religion, culture, etc. etc. ) and by the way this is a HUGE puzzle. However, I only can say, so simple and so complicated at the same time
I think ideals and idols (if you refered to humans) are useful in that they help to ‘verbalize’ or better to say materialize once’s wishes and differences between the status-quo and what the idol constitutes/represents/is. This is not to say, however, that one shall take ideal and try to approach to be a carbon-copy.
I think the World needs examples.
I’ve had plenty of idols. Unfortunately they’ve always been of the worst sort…
And the more I get to know people I’ve looked up the more sceptical I get about “idols”.
I don’t have any idols at all. But I have ideas and wishes about what I’m going to do in future. This happens because during childhood I didn’t know any person who did same things. I mean I know that they excist, but never heard their names. And now I communicate with tens of these persons.
Just want to add that idols excist because they have no details. They are like dream. Something that people don’t understand clearly, but know that it is related with happiness.