yego.me
💡 Stop wasting time. Read Youtube instead of watch. Download Chrome Extension

Rational Optimism Is the Way Out


2m read
·Nov 3, 2024

Processing might take a few minutes. Refresh later.

In general, professions in which you get your feedback from other members of that profession tend to get corrupted. When you see a journalist writing articles to impress other journalists, or a restauranteur running a restaurant that's designed to impress other foodies and other restaurateurs, those end up not being practical and high quality. They may receive accolades and prizes within certain elite circles, but they're not reflecting reality.

Where someone is getting feedback from either Mother Nature, like a scientist or an experimentalist, or from free markets, where other people are voting with their money and their time, those are going to be much better predictors. The people who are operating in the real world and are getting paid for it tend to be optimists. The people who are operating in ivory towers are incented to be pessimists.

To be an entrepreneur, you need to be optimistic about the fact that you're creating something that other people are going to find value in. People who have a pessimistic philosophy tend to have a pessimistic psychology as well. If you're constantly thinking about all the ways in which the world is going to rack and ruin, then this has a day-to-day impact upon your outlook on the rest of society and on your family, on your friends, on everything. Because you think that this world is condemned, you're going to feel that weight upon your shoulders, and it's going to come through in the way in which you present yourself to the rest of the world.

We see a lot of this on social media right now. Entrepreneurs are typically too busy to spend a whole lot of time on social media. But you do get scientists, academic journalists who are depressed with life because they have a pessimistic view of reality, and that's got to have an impact upon their subjective experience of the world, unlike people who are creating, trying to bring something new into existence.

Unfortunately, the pessimism is self-fulfilling. Here, we take the stance that all evils are due to lack of knowledge. Rational optimism is the way out. The data supports it, history supports it, and we can always come up with good explanations through creativity to improve our lives and everybody else's lives. So stay optimistic.

More Articles

View All
Justinian and the Byzantine Empire | World History | Khan Academy
In previous videos, we talked about how, as we exit the 4th Century in the 390s, the emperor Theodosius actually splits the Roman Empire. We already had the city of Constantinople being established as a capital of the Empire; that was done by Constantine …
The Rarest & Most Expensive Watches On Earth - Patek, F.P. Journe, Audemars Piguet, & MORE
[Music] Well, well, well, everybody, Mr. Wonderful here in a very special magical place. If you’re talking watches, with two great watch friends—first of all, Paul Boutros, the legendary auctioneer for very high-end watches. The Phillips auction is legend…
Cruise Ship Propulsion | Making the Disney Wish | Mini Episode 2
Our Disney Wish has a new propulsion system. This is definitely a used Azipod, which is an electric motor-driven propeller under the water. It really allows for some amazing performance. We’ve made the step from going from a conventional shaft line prope…
How To Invest In Cryptocurrency For Beginners In 2022 | THE TOP COINS TO BUY
What’s up, Graham? It’s guys here. So we gotta have a serious talk about cryptocurrency because recently it came to my attention that 55% of Bitcoin holders are brand new, having just made their first investment this year. Even though there’s a lot of op…
Charlie Munger is selling Alibaba!
If you’ve been following this channel for any amount of time, you know I’m a big believer that one of the best ways to learn about investing is to follow the portfolios of well-respected investors. Whether you are just starting out on your investing journ…
The free, time-saving teaching tool you've been looking for - Khanmigo!
[Music] Hi, I’m Kigo. Let’s meet some great teachers just like you. I teach chemistry, IELTS students, the English language learners, sixth grade math, computer science. I teach high school math. I’m a student teacher. Please tell us more. I have to lead…