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This episode is about pessimism and why it is so seductive and it sounds so smart.

But before we go on, I think we need to define the opposite, which is optimism.

Now, if you are optimistic about the world and about the future,

and I think I am, being what I call a real optimist does not mean that you think everything's going to be great in the future. That is what I would call complacency. If you think everything's

going to be good in your own life or in the world. That's not optimism. That's complacency.

Optimism, I think, is a belief that the odds of a good outcome are in your favor over time,

even when you know there are going to be setbacks and problems and challenges along the way.

It's the simple idea that most people wake up in the morning trying to make things a little bit better and more productive

than wake up looking to cause trouble.

That's the foundation of optimism.

It's really not that complicated.

And look, it's not guaranteed either.

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