despair and its opposites

When the planning fallacy meets the optimism bias — a surprisingly common occurrence — we wind up overpromising and underdelivering. We imagine best-case scenarios and overlook potential obstacles, leading us to believe we'll have more time than we actually do or that we’re capable of more than is possible. We set unrealistic expectations for... See more

Kindness doesn't mean niceness. Ultimately, I think it means realism.

Someone told me once that despair is the most disempowering emotion. It’s what we should avoid at all costs, because it takes away our clarity and our positivity. (To despair is to (already) lose.)

So: avoiding despair can be a form of positive action. And, for me, writing a little every day is one of my best ways of fighting back against despair.... See more