Men are born of dreams, yet, but a few, die of exhaustion from the inability to realize them.

Men are born of dreams, yet, but a few, die of exhaustion from the inability to realize them.
Men are born of dreams...
For eons, countless children, regardless of race, skin color, ethnicity, political climate, or geographical location, have been born out of a dream. A dream so powerful yet founded on the simple premise that life, as the parents know it, will be better for their offspring. This simple dream, other than the drive to survive or continue the species, is enough for parents to sacrifice themselves, and whatever resources available to them, for the benefit of their children.
  Even in our 'blessed century' of relative peace, we still hope that our children will make a difference, put a stop to whatever evil currently tortures us, or find a cure for whatever plagues us. At the least, we hope that if they, themselves, will not bring about a change, they would live long enough for a change to take place. A dream.

...yet, but a few,...
History is dotted with great men and women who sought change, who labored inexhaustibly for change, who gave their life for change. Change—unlike modern-day politicians who use this word to rally up masses—meant something to these men and women. It meant doing whatever they felt was necessary to realize their dreams. In addition, while their dreams were not always beneficial to mankind in general, (humans, by their very nature are selfish creatures), their conviction was so strong that they often paid the ultimate prize to see their dream realized.
  Unfortunately, when I say dotted, I mean infrequent and scattered. The vast majority of men fail to pursue their dreams or convictions once they reach the age of relative economical and social stability. A friend of mine, who is a well-respected psychologist, once mentioned to me that, "Every man starts life as a liberal and ends life as a conservative." While I see a point in what he said, I tend to disagree. Certainly, there is some truth to his statement. The liberalism of carefree youth eventually diminishes, giving way to a more conservative nature once a person's list of possessions grows. Irrefutably, when one has nothing to lose, one can live by ideals and principles; but once one has something to lose, one will do his best to guard the fruits of one's labor.
  Yet, as with any generalization, there are exceptions. There are men who continue to live by their ideals; men who refuse to succumb to society's pressures to conform to a certain 'norm'. These men are but a few amidst the masses, and are often viewed as adventurers, irresponsible, dreamers, vagabonds, and derelicts. Equally, there are men who, by way of means, do not have to conform to anything. Society holds these men in high regard, and the general opinion of them is, more often than not, a favorable one. These men not only have the ability to pursue their dreams; they enjoy doing so in a relative comfort.
  I tend to hold the first category in a higher regard, because the common men who, despite repercussions, overcome obstacles and stay true to their heart are men of my liking. They do not have the luxury of bailing out, which is something the latter category is able to do.

....die of exhaustion from the inability to realize them.
Children come to this world without preconceived notions, expectations, malice, and greed. Their lives are but blank pieces of parchment ready to be written upon. They are realizing the dream without even knowing it. Nevertheless, as they grow, their dream is shattered, their consciousness stained.
Without a doubt, life is exhausting. The daily rat race people all over the world are subjected to does not end with retirement. For most people the rat race never ceases, it only slows down. The course may be different, yet the ability to stop altogether never arises. Perhaps we will find peace in death, but that is, at best, purely a speculation.
  The technical mind may find satisfaction in a job well done, the scientific mind in finding a solution, and the creative mind in achieving a masterpiece. Does that equal realizing one's dream? It could. This scenario, however, is very unlikely at best. For men and dreams constantly evolve, ideals change, and solutions are not permanent. We humans have the uncanny ability to screw up. We humans have the inexhaustible thirst for more, even when the answer is less.
  Throughout history, many great men came as close to realizing their dreams as humanly possible; yet, when the fruit was ripe and within reach, these men lusted after more, which more often than not ended up resulting in a total destruction of their dream.
  As our world continues to spiral towards a catastrophe, I often ask myself whether there even is a chance to realize the simple dream of peace, stability, coexistence, and acceptance, or whether we are all destined to die of exhaustion without the ability to glimpse an end to the issues that keep us separated, agitated, and worried.