Many scholars and practitioners in the field of international relations have a strong desire of global stability and peace. However, even the most sincere ones striving towards stability, can be easily wrecked against the tragic realities of IR. According to Carr, "in both physical and political sciences, the point is soon reached where the initial stage of wishing must be succeeded by a stage of hard and ruthless analysis". In other words, realists become realists not because they want it, but because the conditions of IR make them adopt this philosophic stance. Realists are those, who accept facts over wishes and acknowledge the overwhelming importance of power as the driving force of international political decisions, thus creating a gloomy, cynical, and even aggressive picture of IR. What makes a realist be realist is the realization that the international reality is in the state of anarchy, and only states' search for power as a means of survival can facilitate or impede their decision to cooperate.

The real world of IR differs considerably from the world of theory and science. In this real (or realist) world, states compete for power to achieve their political goals. Realism represents an end to the scientific utopia in IR, where moral considerations of international stability and global peace prevail over the individualistic political strivings of separate states. In many instances, realism is a reasonable and rational reaction to the inconsistency of many IR dreams. It is possible to assume that it is the realization of IR's scientific and theoretical futility that makes a realist be realist. It is also possible to say that a realist is born when the desire for facts becomes stronger than the desire to pursue unrealistic goals. At the center of realism is the cynical acceptance of the rules of the IR game, where the highest wisdom lies in being able to accept and adapt to the uncontrollable forces of international politics.

However, it is wrong to believe that the desire for unconditional objectivity makes a realist be realist. Like many other scholars, realists seek to impose their vision of reality on other parties of IR. What makes a true realist be realist is the realization that the international reality is in the state of anarchy, and only the quest for power to survive can impede or facilitate individual states' desire to cooperate. Really, the realist world of IR is comprised of individual but constantly interacting states. However, the principles, according to which these states act, vary greatly, depending on circumstances. To a large extent, beyond the concept of power, states in the realist perspective do not acknowledge any overarching moral principles. They are still interdependent and interacting, but also self-sufficient in their power to rule.

What makes a realist be realist is the obvious fact that global peace cannot be achieved, and states will keep following their exclusive moral principles to reach their political goals. In other words, in a world that is both anarchical and interactive, everyone tends to act in defense of his/her interests. Everyone wants to survive; this is the fundamental law of nature, and states that make the international arena will hardly manage to discard this view on IR. What seems notable, however, is that, in their striving to acknowledge facts, realists are still prone to distort the objective reality. They recognize the anarchy and self-interests governing IR but they still fail to create a picture that would be free of bias. Realism does not save the field of IR from misperceptions and prejudice. As a result, where the obvious IR reality is compared to a photograph, realism in IR resembles a painted picture, which may lack many important elements but still reflect the essence of IR.

In conclusion, what makes a realist be realist is the imminent striving to be objective in the analysis of the international political reality. At times, this objectivity borders with cynicism, but it is intended to put an end to the utopian pursuits of global peace. However, even the most objective view on IR is not free of bias, and realism is just one of the many possible views on international politics.

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