Kevin Budelmann

November 19, 2022

Optimism is the work

“I have been to the movies. I've seen how it ends, and the joke's on them.” Words of an optimist.

It’s easier to have a complaint, look for conspiracy, and be in glass-half-full mode, but pessimism never works. Dystopian futures make great stories, but like other horrors, it’s better fiction than reality. Optimism is necessary for stability, collaboration, and progress. Yes, and. But the joke’s not on them. Splitting us from them is the ultimate dystopia.

Utopia can be hard to spot. As Vonnegut used to say, “If this isn’t nice, I don’t know what is.” Recognize what you have and build. Optimism isn’t naiveté, it’s the real work. Optimism is essential because our future depends on it. Anything less is ridiculous.

About Kevin Budelmann

Thinking out loud.

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