Exploring the parallels between economic doomsaying and past doomsday predictions, this chapter encourages listeners to maintain rational optimism in the face of alarming forecasts, highlighting the importance of not succumbing to exaggerated alarms about economic collapse.
Economic crises can and do happen. But for every true crisis, there are many false alarms, says economist Philipp Carlsson-Szlezak. He explains how to live with the media's pervasive economic doomsaying, why we should stop treating financial forecasts like a precise science — and what we should embrace instead. After the talk, Modupe shares why she’s a “rational optimist” about economic narratives — and what "rational optimism" means to her.