Why we need to be optimistic in these trying times?

Historian Deirdre McCloskey says, "For reasons I have never understood, people like to hear that the world is going to hell". He called it the seduction of pessimism in a world where optimism is the most reasonable stance". 

Patrick O'Shaughnessy once interviewed Rory Sutherland, who said : "If you want to get a rational bastard going around killing beautiful ideas, it's the easiest job in the world".

Pessimism always sounds smarter than optimism because when we're dealing with groups of people whose behaviours and incentives we're not crystal clear about, avoiding threats should be taken more seriously than achieving gains.

Pessimism also sounds like someone trying to help you, while optimism, when describing unknown groups of outsiders, tends to be interpreted as a sales pitch. This isn't new. John Stuart Mill wrote in the 1840s : "I have observed that not the man who hopes when others despair but the man who despairs when others hope, is admired by a large class of persons as a sage".

Part of this is natural. We've evolved to treat threats as more urgent than opportunities.

Pessimism requires action - Move! Get out! Run! Sell! Hide!

Optimism is mostly a call to stay the course and enjoy the ride. So it's not nearly as urgent but we need to understand what optimism is. Real optimists don't believe that everything will be great.

That's complacency. Optimism is a belief that the odds of a good outcome are in your favour over time, even when there will be setbacks along the way. 

This, too, shall pass.

Let's be optimists. Let's spread positivity and good cheer and let me assure you our blessings still outnumber our problems, whatever may be the situation.

Keep the faith and stay blessed forever!

- Adapted.

Tailpiece.

Got up at 5, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 8. Rajan, our chauffeur for the day, was prompt and had parked at our gate by a quarter past 7. We set off for Pidavoor, had breakfast and we had cast off for the venue of the wedding by a half past 8 after receiving the 'dakshina' from Achu.

The 1,200 audience capacity catered for just about a hundred odd people and therefore, did not pose as a threat of spreading Covid-19. The windows were open, the fans were on and the a/c was shut.

The actual wedding took place between 1047 and 1056 hrs followed by photography/videography. The lunch was nice and I was near Karthika's dad; we had a chat while having our food.

We left the auditorium by a half past 1 and timed ourselves to enter 'Vettilazhikam' after a 5' past 3. Karthika had officially become part of the household.

We returned to Raj Nivas soon after. Achu and Karthika gave us the ultimate surprise when they came to drop Ammu and Mithun, along with our share of dinner.