My Personal Credit Crisis

[DWCAP]

I guess I see a difference between optimists and realists.
I suppose it breaks down like this:

Optimists see a half a glass of water and see it half full, and generally see it as filling full very soon for a variety of inane reasons.

Pesmistists see a half a glass of water and see it half empty, and prob soon to be totally empty for the exact opposit of the varity of inane reasons the optimists cite.

Realists see half a glass of water and see it as a half a glass of water. What happens to it in the future is totally dependant upon what they decide to do about it.

In a personal explaination:
I once wanted to be a pro tennis player. The girls, the money, the girls, the trophies, the media attention, the girls….. my motivation was obvious. I was pretty good for my age too. I was 12 when I got put on the court with a guy who was going pro (though I admit I barly got a ball back and mostly got hammered at). My coach wanted to inspire me.
Problem was over the years, as I walked off the courts, I looked around and realized how many of the trainers, assistant coaches, late 20 something wannnabee’s who were way to old but wouldnt admit it, parents living vicariously through their kid, etc etc were actually just failed wouldbe pro players who never went anywhere. They never had anything else to fall back on, so they became coachs, assistants, overzelous parents….

An optimist woulda looked around and said “I am different, I am gonna be the next Aggasi! No, Aggasi was really the first ME!”

An pesimist would have realized that the odds of me making it pro were near zilch, and never walked onto the court again.

A realist like me will still play on weekends, holidays, and whenever he feels like it, but will also study his ass off to get a good job in Industry he also likes so he doesnt end up serving vollies to 6 year olds in the sun all day.

Sadly in our current system we subsidize the optimists when they fail, ignor the pemisists except when we cant any longer, and tax the realists to pay for it all.

[scaredyclassic]

are innovators really necessarily optimists? I doubt it? a person can be inquisitive, clever, insightful, and not at all optimistic. i think there’s this triumphant american capitalist overlay to innovators which isn’t necessary for innovation. real innovators aren’t usually going for a buck; they’re following their wacky ideas and dreams. yeah, sure ia gree with you, if you’re talking abouta guy betting the farm ona widget, that’s gonna be an optimist. but is that really most innovation or invention? doubt it.

are risk-takers more alive? again, doubtful, at least not anymore than any other junkie is alive; adrenaline junkies, meth junkies, it’s all the same destination..

[scaredyclassic]

are innovators really necessarily optimists? I doubt it? a person can be inquisitive, clever, insightful, and not at all optimistic. i think there’s this triumphant american capitalist overlay to innovators which isn’t necessary for innovation. real innovators aren’t usually going for a buck; they’re following their wacky ideas and dreams. yeah, sure ia gree with you, if you’re talking abouta guy betting the farm ona widget, that’s gonna be an optimist. but is that really most innovation or invention? doubt it.

are risk-takers more alive? again, doubtful, at least not anymore than any other junkie is alive; adrenaline junkies, meth junkies, it’s all the same destination..

[scaredyclassic]

are innovators really necessarily optimists? I doubt it? a person can be inquisitive, clever, insightful, and not at all optimistic. i think there’s this triumphant american capitalist overlay to innovators which isn’t necessary for innovation. real innovators aren’t usually going for a buck; they’re following their wacky ideas and dreams. yeah, sure ia gree with you, if you’re talking abouta guy betting the farm ona widget, that’s gonna be an optimist. but is that really most innovation or invention? doubt it.

are risk-takers more alive? again, doubtful, at least not anymore than any other junkie is alive; adrenaline junkies, meth junkies, it’s all the same destination..

[scaredyclassic]

are innovators really necessarily optimists? I doubt it? a person can be inquisitive, clever, insightful, and not at all optimistic. i think there’s this triumphant american capitalist overlay to innovators which isn’t necessary for innovation. real innovators aren’t usually going for a buck; they’re following their wacky ideas and dreams. yeah, sure ia gree with you, if you’re talking abouta guy betting the farm ona widget, that’s gonna be an optimist. but is that really most innovation or invention? doubt it.

are risk-takers more alive? again, doubtful, at least not anymore than any other junkie is alive; adrenaline junkies, meth junkies, it’s all the same destination..

[scaredyclassic]

are innovators really necessarily optimists? I doubt it? a person can be inquisitive, clever, insightful, and not at all optimistic. i think there’s this triumphant american capitalist overlay to innovators which isn’t necessary for innovation. real innovators aren’t usually going for a buck; they’re following their wacky ideas and dreams. yeah, sure ia gree with you, if you’re talking abouta guy betting the farm ona widget, that’s gonna be an optimist. but is that really most innovation or invention? doubt it.

are risk-takers more alive? again, doubtful, at least not anymore than any other junkie is alive; adrenaline junkies, meth junkies, it’s all the same destination..

[briansd1]

[quote=davelj]
Of course not ALL humans are optimists by nature. But the AVERAGE human is optimistic. In AGGREGATE, humans are an optimistic lot. And, sorry, but optimism IS what allows people to take the kinds of risk that engender progress. [/quote]

I agree that animal nature is optimistic. That’s why I call it it “establishment” thinking.

You cannot go against the grain even if you fundamentally disagree because you’ll be quashed and ostracized (the people do who are true heroes in my view). You have to fly under the radar and do what’s best for you.

Hope for a better day is a survival instinct because without it, humans wouldn’t have any motivation to go on.

If you look at human history, even in the darkest days of war and famine, plenty of children are born. Why? Because the parents believe in that brighter future somewhere on the horizon.

Birds fly across oceans in the winter for food. They don’t know that there will be food at the end of the voyage but they still go. They’ll just die en-masse if they find nothing upon arrival.

[briansd1]

[quote=davelj]
Of course not ALL humans are optimists by nature. But the AVERAGE human is optimistic. In AGGREGATE, humans are an optimistic lot. And, sorry, but optimism IS what allows people to take the kinds of risk that engender progress. [/quote]

I agree that animal nature is optimistic. That’s why I call it it “establishment” thinking.

You cannot go against the grain even if you fundamentally disagree because you’ll be quashed and ostracized (the people do who are true heroes in my view). You have to fly under the radar and do what’s best for you.

Hope for a better day is a survival instinct because without it, humans wouldn’t have any motivation to go on.

If you look at human history, even in the darkest days of war and famine, plenty of children are born. Why? Because the parents believe in that brighter future somewhere on the horizon.

Birds fly across oceans in the winter for food. They don’t know that there will be food at the end of the voyage but they still go. They’ll just die en-masse if they find nothing upon arrival.

[briansd1]

[quote=davelj]
Of course not ALL humans are optimists by nature. But the AVERAGE human is optimistic. In AGGREGATE, humans are an optimistic lot. And, sorry, but optimism IS what allows people to take the kinds of risk that engender progress. [/quote]

I agree that animal nature is optimistic. That’s why I call it it “establishment” thinking.

You cannot go against the grain even if you fundamentally disagree because you’ll be quashed and ostracized (the people do who are true heroes in my view). You have to fly under the radar and do what’s best for you.

Hope for a better day is a survival instinct because without it, humans wouldn’t have any motivation to go on.

If you look at human history, even in the darkest days of war and famine, plenty of children are born. Why? Because the parents believe in that brighter future somewhere on the horizon.

Birds fly across oceans in the winter for food. They don’t know that there will be food at the end of the voyage but they still go. They’ll just die en-masse if they find nothing upon arrival.

[briansd1]

[quote=davelj]
Of course not ALL humans are optimists by nature. But the AVERAGE human is optimistic. In AGGREGATE, humans are an optimistic lot. And, sorry, but optimism IS what allows people to take the kinds of risk that engender progress. [/quote]

I agree that animal nature is optimistic. That’s why I call it it “establishment” thinking.

You cannot go against the grain even if you fundamentally disagree because you’ll be quashed and ostracized (the people do who are true heroes in my view). You have to fly under the radar and do what’s best for you.

Hope for a better day is a survival instinct because without it, humans wouldn’t have any motivation to go on.

If you look at human history, even in the darkest days of war and famine, plenty of children are born. Why? Because the parents believe in that brighter future somewhere on the horizon.

Birds fly across oceans in the winter for food. They don’t know that there will be food at the end of the voyage but they still go. They’ll just die en-masse if they find nothing upon arrival.

[briansd1]

[quote=davelj]
Of course not ALL humans are optimists by nature. But the AVERAGE human is optimistic. In AGGREGATE, humans are an optimistic lot. And, sorry, but optimism IS what allows people to take the kinds of risk that engender progress. [/quote]

I agree that animal nature is optimistic. That’s why I call it it “establishment” thinking.

You cannot go against the grain even if you fundamentally disagree because you’ll be quashed and ostracized (the people do who are true heroes in my view). You have to fly under the radar and do what’s best for you.

Hope for a better day is a survival instinct because without it, humans wouldn’t have any motivation to go on.

If you look at human history, even in the darkest days of war and famine, plenty of children are born. Why? Because the parents believe in that brighter future somewhere on the horizon.

Birds fly across oceans in the winter for food. They don’t know that there will be food at the end of the voyage but they still go. They’ll just die en-masse if they find nothing upon arrival.

[Arraya]

Neurochemically speaking, optimism leads to increased frontal cortical activity which itself is a strong predictor of idea generation and overall liveliness of thought. Pessimism does the opposite.

Herd behavior is also a trait left over from out hunter/gatherer days. This is well know by the masters of finance, though they are not immune.

Rational thought was developed much later on down the evolutionary trail, thus not as dominate. Magical thinking still rules the species.

Bubble buyer behavior is a combination of the two evolutionary biases, usurping rational thought.

Humans also have a proclivity for trusting authority. I imagine this was developed by people who listened to their parents not to eat that berry or touch that snake had a better survival rate than those that did not.

The bubble was exacerbated by authority figures feeding the fire and amplified by the media.

People were just being typical humans. Trusting authorities and following the tribe.

[Arraya]

Neurochemically speaking, optimism leads to increased frontal cortical activity which itself is a strong predictor of idea generation and overall liveliness of thought. Pessimism does the opposite.

Herd behavior is also a trait left over from out hunter/gatherer days. This is well know by the masters of finance, though they are not immune.

Rational thought was developed much later on down the evolutionary trail, thus not as dominate. Magical thinking still rules the species.

Bubble buyer behavior is a combination of the two evolutionary biases, usurping rational thought.

Humans also have a proclivity for trusting authority. I imagine this was developed by people who listened to their parents not to eat that berry or touch that snake had a better survival rate than those that did not.

The bubble was exacerbated by authority figures feeding the fire and amplified by the media.

People were just being typical humans. Trusting authorities and following the tribe.

[Arraya]

Neurochemically speaking, optimism leads to increased frontal cortical activity which itself is a strong predictor of idea generation and overall liveliness of thought. Pessimism does the opposite.

Herd behavior is also a trait left over from out hunter/gatherer days. This is well know by the masters of finance, though they are not immune.

Rational thought was developed much later on down the evolutionary trail, thus not as dominate. Magical thinking still rules the species.

Bubble buyer behavior is a combination of the two evolutionary biases, usurping rational thought.

Humans also have a proclivity for trusting authority. I imagine this was developed by people who listened to their parents not to eat that berry or touch that snake had a better survival rate than those that did not.

The bubble was exacerbated by authority figures feeding the fire and amplified by the media.

People were just being typical humans. Trusting authorities and following the tribe.

[Arraya]

Neurochemically speaking, optimism leads to increased frontal cortical activity which itself is a strong predictor of idea generation and overall liveliness of thought. Pessimism does the opposite.

Herd behavior is also a trait left over from out hunter/gatherer days. This is well know by the masters of finance, though they are not immune.

Rational thought was developed much later on down the evolutionary trail, thus not as dominate. Magical thinking still rules the species.

Bubble buyer behavior is a combination of the two evolutionary biases, usurping rational thought.

Humans also have a proclivity for trusting authority. I imagine this was developed by people who listened to their parents not to eat that berry or touch that snake had a better survival rate than those that did not.

The bubble was exacerbated by authority figures feeding the fire and amplified by the media.

People were just being typical humans. Trusting authorities and following the tribe.

[Author]

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