Quixotism
Quixotism (/kwɪkˈsɒtɪzəm/ or /kiːˈhoʊtɪzəm/; adj. quixotic) is impracticality in pursuit of ideals, especially those ideals manifested by rash, lofty and romantic ideas or extravagantly chivalrous action.[1] It also serves to describe an idealism without regard to practicality. An impulsive person or act might be regarded as quixotic.
Quixotism is usually related to "over-idealism", meaning an idealism that doesn't take consequence or absurdity into account. It is also related to naïve romanticism and to utopianism.
Origin
Quixotism as a term or a quality appeared after the publication of Don Quixote in 1605. Don Quixote, the hero of this novel, written by Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, dreams up a romantic ideal world which he believes to be real, and acts on this idealism, which most famously leads him into imaginary fights with windmills that he regards as giants, leading to the related metaphor of "tilting at windmills".
Already in the 17th century the term quixote was used to describe a person who does not distinguish between reality and imagination. The poet John Cleveland wrote in 1644, in his book The character of a London diurnall:
The Quixotes of this Age fight with the Wind-mills of their owne Heads.[2]
The word quixotism is mentioned, for the first time, in Pulpit Popery, True Popery (1688):
...all the Heroical Fictions of Ecclesiastical Quixotism...
Spanish language opposes quijotesco ("Quixotic") with sanchopancesco ("lacking idealism, accommodating and chuckling" after Sancho Panza).[3]
See also
References
- v
- t
- e
imaginary characters,
and animals
- Alonso Quixano / Don Quixote
- Sancho Panza
- Cide Hamete Benengeli
- Clavileño
- Dulcinea del Toboso / Aldonza Lorenzo
- Ginés de Pasamonte
- Ricote
- Rocinante
- The Comical History of Don Quixote (1694 play)
- Double Falsehood (1727 play)
musical
- Don Quichotte chez la Duchesse (1743)
- Don Quichotte auf der Hochzeit des Comacho (1761 opera)
- Sancho Pança dans son isle (1762 opera)
- Don Chisciotte alle nozze di Gamace (1771 opera)
- Don Quixote (1898 opera)
- Don Quichotte (1910 opera)
- Man of La Mancha (1964 musical, "The Impossible Dream" song)
- Don Quixote (Richard Strauss, 1898)
- Don Quixote (Ludwig Minkus, 1869)
- Don Quixote (1903)
- Incident from Don Quixote (1908)
- Don Quixote (1923)
- Don Quixote (1933)
- Don Quixote (1947)
- Don Quixote (1955–1969, unfinished)
- Don Quixote (1957)
- Dulcinea (1963)
- Don Chisciotte and Sancio Panza (1968)
- Man of La Mancha (1972)
- Don Quijote cabalga de nuevo (1973)
- Don Quixote (2000)
- Lost in La Mancha (2002)
- Don Quixote, Knight Errant (2002)
- Honor de cavalleria (2006)
- Donkey Xote (2007)
- Don Quixote (2010)
- Don Quixote (2015)
- The Man Who Killed Don Quixote (2018)
- He Dreams of Giants (2019)
- I, Don Quixote (1959 teleplay)
- Zukkoke Knight - Don De La Mancha (1980 series)
- The Adventures of Don Coyote and Sancho Panda (1989 series)
- El Quijote de Miguel de Cervantes (1992 series)
- Don Quixote (2011 series)
- La Leyenda de la Mancha (1998, "Molinos de viento" song)
- Don Quixote (1955 sketch)
- Don Quixote (1976 sculpture)
- Alonso Fernández de Avellaneda
- Amadís de Gaula
- List of works influenced by Don Quixote
- Quixotism
- The History of Cardenio
- "The Truth about Sancho Panza" (1931 short story)
- "Pierre Menard, Author of the Quixote" (1939 short story)
- Monsignor Quixote (1982 novel)
- Super Don Quix-ote (1984 video game)