Crucial Dimensions of the Attitu De Towards National and Supra-National Ideals

Abstract The aims of this study were, first, to explore various dimensions of the attitude towards ideals, i.e., relative importance of ideals, readiness to act for their realization, knowl edge about means of realization available to individuals and emotional relation to ideals; and second, to test an hypothesis about the interrelations of these attitude dimen sions. The method consisted of interviewing 200 Israelis (N = 100, 17-25/6 years, N = 100, 25/6-32 years), about their attitudes to 12 Israeli and 12 general ideals. Main findings concerning the attitude dimensions are the high evaluation of ideals such as peace or progress in education and standard of living, in comparison with the low evaluation of socio-political ideals; the readiness of the majority to act for the realiza tion of ideals; the relative ignorance about means of realization available to individuals, and the prominent tendency to regard institutions as responsible for realizing ideals; and the rather pronounced emotional relation to ideals. Main findings concerning interrelations between the dimensions are positive relatedness (a) of importance ranking with emotional relation to ideals, and (b) of readiness to act for realization with knowl edge about personal realization means; the non-relatedness of knowledge about per sonal realization means with either importance or with emotional relation; and the relatedness of evaluated importance and readiness to act for realization only on the level of ideals ranking low in both variables. The main practical implication is that pointing out courses of action available to individuals is a better means of arousing people to action for the realization of ideals than is merely convincing them of the importance of these ideals.