Dr. Martin Hash Podcast

To counter the litany of negative base human emotions, there is an overpowering positive one: naive optimism. Naive optimism is the most precious of human foibles because it irrationally overlooks the impossibilities of life & sees only the possibilities. It's the counterbalance to hopelessness, discouragement & depression, and the reason people continue to strive against tremendous odds. The other uplifting emotions, serenity, humor & love, come at its behest. People without naive optimism are dangerous because they have nothing to lose: to them a suicide vest seems like a good idea. Also mental illness & depression that sublimate a person's naive optimism is the most cruel disability of all.

In real life, sophisticated people often exploit the optimism of the naive, in business, in sex & in politics. A wise person would play this game delicately because no one is a worse enemy than one who thinks they were lied to, and whose pride & self-respect is degraded & abused. However, for a vibrant society, naive optimism is the elixir that makes it all happen. Naive optimism only works if the possibility of success actually exists, however small. Being rewarded, even if only in the abstract, will keep naive optimism alive. I, myself, the Wyest Myn in the Wyrld, is motivated by naive optimism.