Irrational Hope

I still love the stories where dedicated people overcome impossible odds. I don’t think those times are over.

I worry about the way the world is going. But I’m still irrationally hopeful.

I grew up in a more optimistic time. Every problem seemed solvable. Eliminating poverty was a shared goal. Treating everyone with respect seemed to be a universal ideal. Truth was determined through open-mindedness and empiricism. The internet’s ability to connect people was positive.

I know that I was naive. Our ability to reduce poverty has been beautiful and imperfect. The respect I assumed was universal was sometimes a thin veneer over prejudice. Science has always been an imperfect, biased process. The good done by the internet is tempered by very real complexity.

Human history is marked by difficulty. Most problems are too big for any one of us to solve. But I still love the stories where dedicated people overcome impossible odds. I don’t think those times are over.

It’s easy to be cynical. I’m damn good at it. And I can’t tell you how much I value healthy skepticism.

The difference between medicine and poison is the dose, and I worry that our society is becoming intoxicated with pessimism.

I won’t advocate for a naive hope that ignores difficult realities. I certainly don’t have solutions to every problem. But I believe that most people are fundamentally good—even the ones I disagree with on core issues.

So I am embracing an irrational hope. I believe that we can improve systems. I believe that we can step outside our tribes. I believe that we can ask for honor and accountability from leaders in all domains, and that we can elevate the many great people who prioritize the welfare of humanity over their own ambitions.

I hope you’ll join me in being irrationally hopeful today.