The future is shaped by optimists who imagine how our ability to solve problems improves over time. Optimism is a choice and an act of imagination, where we envision things working out well and improving. It is easy to imagine things going wrong, but harder to imagine how they work well. However, if we can imagine the positive outcomes, we increase the likelihood of them happening. Optimism does not mean ignoring problems, but rather seeing how our ability to get better and future generations' ability to improve can lead to success in solving problems. While new problems will arise, we have the capacity to create new solutions to solve them even faster. This small difference in our ability to solve problems is all we need. We are living in a protopia, where things are getting infinitesimally better each day, despite occasional setbacks. Optimism is a skill that can be learned. Optimists understand that setbacks are temporary and can be overcome, while pessimists believe setbacks are inevitable. Therefore, by choosing to be optimistic, we can envision the best outcomes for ourselves and increase our chances of achieving them.
Not all advice is excellent, and not all futurists are right. But Kevin Kelly, Founder and Senior Maverick of Wired Magazine, is the exception on both fronts. Today he returns to Rule Breaker Investing to share his optimistic take on the generous nature of the universe and our place in it.
- (00:11:57) The Magic of Compounding
- (00:17:50) Why the Size of your Balcony Matters
- (00:20:45) Choosing Optimism
- (00:29:40) Ending Meetings Early
- (00:31:35) Saints and Superheroes
- (00:40:35) Underestimating Long Term Possibilities
- (00:45:18) Choose Options that Open Up More Options
- (01:00:37) The Cheapest Possible Therapy
- (01:06:38) Inevitable Updates
Companies Mentioned: AMZN, IRBT, ATVI, GOOG, BRK
Host: David Gardner Guest: Kevin Kelly Producer: Rick Engdahl