Optimism

On the surface, an optimistic belief might seem no more valid than the stance of pessimism. But the deep history of new ideas makes it very clear that the optimistic stance of believing something is possible is a requirement to make anything new real, and is thus more powerful than pessimism. In the long run, optimists shape the future.

“Optimism early, pessimism in the middle, optimism late.

Your starting position has to be somewhat optimistic or you’ll talk yourself out of getting started. Believing in what you are about to do does not guarantee success, but a lack of belief can prevent it.

Once you’ve committed, pessimism becomes useful. Question things. Find holes in your plan. ... See more

Extreme optimism expresses itself as unwavering self belief, the ability to look at a dense forest and see the path through it, and the ability to focus on the end goal even if the steps are challenging. This is necessary for convincing yourself to start a company and then bringing others (employees and investors) along. Optimism can in many ways “... See more