29 november

YES: Optimism

It’s probably ridiculous to believe that the right outcome (at least according to you) will always happen, no matter what. It’s naïve, sure. If you don’t train at all, how can you expect to win the race? If you don’t study, how can you hope to ace the test? Sure, maybe everyone else will forget their sneakers and you’ll win by default. Maybe you’ll realize that you have somehow memorized all of the content and the exam will turn out to be a breeze. Maybe.

The kind of optimism I’m talking about, though, is not that foolhardy reality-denying kind. The kind of optimism I’m into is the kind where someone can look the facts full in the face and consciously believe that the most positive outcome is fully possible. Miracles? Not so much. The hard work of people, more often. You know the saying, like the harder you work the luckier you are? Or something like ‘we create our own luck’? Of course there’s the Edison quote: "Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.” He has a lot of them that tie in here – “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” “If we did all the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves.” Literally.

Optimism is not merely the opposite of pessimism. Pessimism is a black hole. There are enough pessimists around to destroy the power of the sun, were they all to focus their lack of belief in the same direction. It’s gross. Why do those people even get out of bed in the morning? They know that there is nothing that can be accomplished, no matter what anyone tries to do. There’s not enough time, enough money, enough political capital, enough space, enough energy, enough psychobabble to make anything happen. Ever. At all. The end.

Optimism is simply saying yes. Yes, it is possible. Yes, we can try. Yes, we will do what we can. Optimism is not idiocy. Optimism is powerful.

There’s plenty more to say on that, but you get the idea. I believe you do. I’m pretty sure you’re at least some degree of optimist. Pessimists don’t need to read books. Why bother? Efforts at self-improvement lead to nothing. Humor isn’t as funny as the author thinks it is. Science and history and all that – who cares?

NO: Apathy

Pretty sure you already saw that coming.