Optimism: A Skeptic's Guide
Is optimism a scam? Here's a skeptic's guide to understanding optimism and its power to bend reality. Learn about iconic examples like Churchill and Schwarzenegger, and the mistake optimists make when it comes to marketing.
![Author profile image](https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1304132718029139969/4ki_Rww2_normal.jpg)
George Mack
The 0.1% of ideas I think — or discover in rabbit holes. Get access to the best ideas I've found for free here: https://t.co/q33ixsFPbq
![Header media for article](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fym1kmbaIAAYq9l.png)
-
Is optimism a scam?
— George Mack (@george__mack) June 14, 2023
Here's the skeptics guide to optimism: pic.twitter.com/PY01RhFYyf -
If you study history, you find iconic examples of people bending reality with positive thinking
— George Mack (@george__mack) June 14, 2023
E.g. Churchill and Schwarzenegger pic.twitter.com/mCec70hWpX -
Here's the skeptic's response:
— George Mack (@george__mack) June 14, 2023
1. For every Churchill or Arnold, there are thousands of delusional people that said similar things who we've never heard of.
2. If optimism alone can bend reality -- why don't starving children use this tool?
The skeptic is correct. pic.twitter.com/ZK8ZLQxPA9 -
The mistake the optimists made:
— George Mack (@george__mack) June 14, 2023
The marketing was way better than the product -- but the product wasn't bad.
The skeptics then throw out the baby with the bathwater: pic.twitter.com/vC4z0jTQCx -
To use the skeptics language:
— George Mack (@george__mack) June 14, 2023
The placebo effect has 100,000+ references on PubMed.
The placebo effect shows the impact optimistic or pessimistic expectations can have. pic.twitter.com/uCfPKcRobk -
The Cocktail Party Effect is the best argument for optimism:
— George Mack (@george__mack) June 14, 2023
At cocktail parties, your brain blurs out 100's of surrounding sounds and focuses on your conversation
When the background sound mentions a trigger word: (e.g. Your name or hometown) -- your brain suddenly picks it up pic.twitter.com/4ekvhmNcS2 -
Life is a huge cocktail party
— George Mack (@george__mack) June 14, 2023
Your brain is tuning out millions of inputs
If you're a optimist, your brain tunes into opportunities -- like a trigger word at a cocktail party
If you're a pessimist, your brain tunes into problems -- like a trigger word at a cocktail party pic.twitter.com/mysZFUq575 -
Optimism isn't going to fix the world's problems
— George Mack (@george__mack) June 14, 2023
But optimism combined with action might add a 1% improvement everyday to an individuals life (seems like more reasonable marketing)
And if you let that 1% compound, it can lead to something incredible with time (via @JamesClear) pic.twitter.com/pALZYmdXGT -
Brian Armstrong used to write down:
— George Mack (@george__mack) June 14, 2023
“I will create a billion dollar tech company”
Is this the main reason for his success? Definitely not
But was it a small nudge at life's cocktail party that helped spot billion dollar opportunities? Maybe pic.twitter.com/5l6T9i3mLe -
It's never been sexier to be cynical or pessimistic.
— George Mack (@george__mack) June 14, 2023
If you still can't find any reason to be optimistic -- maybe try the opportunity to stand on the shoulders of giants everyday.
Read this email Steve Jobs sent to himself 13 months before he died pic.twitter.com/laHxlthDwx -
PS. If you want a rabbit hole on placebos
— George Mack (@george__mack) June 14, 2023
Dr. Bleecher ran out of morphine to operate on wounded soldiers in WW2
So he pretended to give them morphine before surgery -- but he actually used saltwater
The soldiers tolerated surgery as if they had morphine -- with saltwater pic.twitter.com/JUdjNOw1kS -
If you enjoyed this, I'm adding "The Skeptics Guide to Optimism" to my 0.1% of ideas.
— George Mack (@george__mack) June 14, 2023
You can get the full list here:https://t.co/t2Vera8xFw