Optimism as the Only way Forward

It's normal to correlate optimism with naivety. With all the evils we see, it's easy to think that optimism is for those that refuse to acknowledge what's going on around them. The truth of the matter is that optimism is a necessary disposition if we wish to solve problems and overcome evils.

The cynicism that people have towards optimism is usually associated with blind optimism, which is thinking that bad things won't happen. The ridiculousness of a zippidy do da type outlook is, of course, unrealistic. As a result, most think it’s best to retreat towards its opposite, which is pessimism.

Pessimism is about sticking to things that are tried and true. It's the attempt to only live in the areas of life that seem to be safe. Not only is it not possible to find the shelter pessimism seeks, but it's also an existence dictated by fear and hopelessness. Pessimism is also appealing, because it's the easiest stance to have. It relies on what's already known. There is no creativity in this, because it can't generate anything new. It also thinks that progress is, in some, way finite.

Pessimism is ultimately a dead end, because its solution is stasis.

With optimism, one refuses to eliminate any possibility at one's fingertips and creation is allowed to use the full gamut of reality. One can then drive forward with the use of their total peripheral vision. Because of this, new accomplishments have the greatest possibility of being generated. One is unbounded by the past with optimism, as it takes what is currently known as the starting point for producing new knowledge and connections. And, as knowledge increases and is applied, evils can be resolved through novel and unique solutions, which give us the ability to make real choices. Also, new platforms, upon which new knowledge can rest, are propagated.

Optimism is the only way forward.