Idealism is not limited to Idealists!  As John F. Kennedy said,

So we are all idealists. We are all visionaries. Let it not be said of this Atlantic generation that we left ideals and visions to the past, nor purpose and determinations to our adversaries. We have come too far, we have sacrificed too much, to disdain the future now. And we shall ever remember what Goethe told us, that the "highest wisdom, the best that mankind ever knew" was the realization "he only earns his freedom and existence who daily conquers them anew."

In common usage, the word "idealist" indicates a person who cherishes noble aims and lofty percepts.  The Idealist in Temperament terms is believed to understand and value things as they could be rather than simply as they are, who naturally focuses more on the potential than the actual, on becoming, to which being is only a bridge.

It's important to know that this misunderstanding is one of several reasons for why Dr. Linda Berens debuted new names for all of the Temperaments.  She has found that the name "Catalyst" separates this Temperament from others who may simply have an idealized worldview, and it seems to do a better identify the "can't-help-it" actions this Temperament typically engages in.  (Not all Idealists identify with being idealistic!)

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However, idealization is a useful coaching tool.  One powerful exercise you can practice to supercharge your thinking and accelerate your results is called idealization.  In idealization you continually imagine the perfect outcome or solution for any situation in your life.  You project forward three to five years, or even further, and then create a mental picture of the kind of life and career that would be ideal for you in every respect.  

This notion is explored in great depth through the movie, The Secret DVD, which INFJs tend to find a no-brainer, because it seems to describe what INFJs do naturally anyway.  All the life coaches are talking about this one, so I suggest you check it out!

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Every form of addiction is bad, no matter whether the narcotic be alcohol or morphine or idealism. 
Carl Jung