The Power of Optimism: How a Positive Attitude Can Boost Learning Potential

Do you ever think about what could of been? Keep on doing it!

I recently rode my first real rollercoaster by embarking on the UK’s tallest ride in Blackpool.

On the ride back from the theme park, I started reading “The Beginning of Infinity”. I rarely read books even though I have many I can read. I just started reading!

I have read a good amount of the book already so I just picked a chapter I don’t remember too well and started. I chose ‘optimism’.

The Beginning of Infinity

“The Beginning of Infinity” by David Deutsch is a thought-provoking book that explores the concept of explanations and their transformative power in shaping our understanding of the world.

book cover for ‘The Beginning of Infinity’ by David Deutsch

The book covers many interesting topics such as artificial creativity, the multiverse and the topic of my choice for the reading session being optimism.

Pessimism vs Optimism

The chapter started by breaking down all sorts of theories about predicting future events using current knowledge. It’s apparently impossible to do so. You can conjecture and come up with really good explanations of events that have already occurred. When it comes to future events, there are two ways to look at them:

• optimism

• pessimism

Pessimism is associated with expecting a not ideal outcome which has been a very effective approach for our survival as a species in the past.

Like I’m not going to put my hand in that alligators mouth because I expect it would not end well haha. This type of thinking keeps you out of trouble but it’s not a very progressive approach to life.

Optimism has the potential to be damaging especially when blind but the upside is much higher than pessimism as you would expect. The book teaches not to fear an unfavourable outcome simply because we don’t know what can happen. We don’t know everything and that’s alright.

Some Examples?

Innovation and Entrepreneurship: Many successful entrepreneurs and innovators attribute their achievements to optimism. For instance, Elon Musk’s optimistic vision for the future has been a driving force behind his ventures such as SpaceX and Tesla.

Medical Breakthroughs: Optimism plays a crucial role in medical research and breakthroughs. Researchers and scientists often maintain an optimistic outlook, believing in the potential for finding cures and developing new treatments, which has led to significant advancements in healthcare.

Social Change: Throughout history, social reformers and activists have demonstrated optimism in the face of adversity, driving meaningful change. For example, leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. maintained an optimistic belief in the possibility of a better future, inspiring movements that transformed societies.

Academic and Career Success: Optimism has been linked to academic achievement and career success. Students and professionals who maintain an optimistic outlook are more likely to set and achieve challenging goals, persist in the face of obstacles, and experience greater overall success.

What can you do?

It’s very easy to say “be more optimistic” but it’s hard especially in the face of life’s endless complications.

With that said, it’s important to remember that opportunities are not always visible to the eye. Sometimes, they are hidden in plain sight, and we need to look beyond the surface to find them.

It’s kinda like the stock market in which the people that win are the people who saw an opportunity and ultimately took a risk. If you are taking any sort of risk, you need to optimistic about a positive outcome otherwise you won’t!

All you can do to be optimistic is not be delusional but understand anything can happen and most likely will happen at some point. The more you think positively and direct energy towards a project or a task, the likeliness of a favourable outcome increases. The energy comes from optimism so treat optimism as an energy source to pursue goals and complete difficult tasks.

Thanks For Reading

This article was written a while ago but why not put it out there!

Have a good day👍🏽