Ciao!

On optimism

The sum of three separate conversations I've had today added up to a single discussion on why I'm an optimist: Because I believe that, when carefully considered, almost nothing in life is actually difficult. Most things can be broken down to a series of decisions, contingency plans, or training that leads to solutions. See, most things in life can be broken down into puzzles. And, if you solve puzzles, you're aware that the solution to most puzzles is built in to the puzzle itself.

See, our species (homo sapiens) is unique. We're a low-level predatory animal. We've poor vision, eye sight, no natural weapons (tooth, fang). Heck, we don't even have fur to keep us warm. And yet we thrive; we dominate this planet. Why? Because everything we need to conquer the universe is inside our head.

Think about it. Thousands of years ago, our ancestors crawled out of the caves and began solving problems. They overcame bears & sabertooth tigers w/ nothing but their puny hands. And they learned how to build shelter, fire, weapons. They learned agriculture, architecture, medicine. They then developed the concept of trade, storage, bureaucracy, logistics. Proceeded to navigation, cartography, astronomy. And they did all these things w/ no one to show them how. Why? Because they had problems to solve. And they did.

I'll put it in the starkest, most extreme terms: A lone caveman faces down a sabertooth, all alone in the wilderness, w/ nothing but a thin piece of fur as clothing, a flint knife, perhaps also a stone spear. He has two choices: Fight the sabertooth before him, or surrender to panic & certain death. If he decides he wants to live, to go home to his family, then he must solve the very specific, and daunting puzzle before him.

Are we lesser beings than that? Are our daily problems that much more complicated or insurmountable? Nope.

Posted by Miguel at 11:06 PM