A few days ago, I was discussing a problem with someone. He predicted a bad outcome to the problem, but then apologized for “being a pessimist.”
I told him that pessimism was a non-factor, and not to worry about it. The universe will do what the universe will do, and pessimism doesn’t affect it at all. For the things we can affect, we need The Comprehensive View.
The Comprehensive View is how you solve problems. You have to simultaneously hold a few viewpoints in your mind that seem contradictory from an emotional standpoint, but aren’t. These viewpoints are:
- Things are currently bad.
- Things aren’t as bad as they could be.
- Things might get worse.
- Things can get better.
None of those are mutually exclusive, but they evoke different moods. “Things are currently bad” feels defeatist or “pessimistic,” but it’s just an observation. “Things aren’t as bad as they could be” seems optimistic while “Things might get worse” seems fearful – but all of these observations are just mapping the landscape. And you need to map the landscape in order to find a way through.
Things are currently bad – why? Things aren’t as bad as they could be – what should we prepare for? Things might get worse – what would we do if they did? Things can get better – how can we make that happen?
Forget pessimism or optimism – both of those are modes of thinking that yield agency to chance. Instead, map your terrain and solve your problems. That’s The Comprehensive View.
The Opportunity Machine 