Blind optimism is rarely relevant. Cheerleading is often recognized as just that. Being a “glass half-full” guy myself (difficult as a lifelong Cubs fan), I try to remain as positive as possible.
However, taking a cautious or negative view of life has served an important evolutionary purpose, both biologically and in business.
When our early ancestors started spreading out across the wilderness, it paid to be wary and to consider all dangers – saber-toothed tigers, venomous snakes, weather, flooding rivers and delicious-looking (but deadly) fruits and berries.
Quite simply, those who were too optimistic tended to be wiped out early in life, one way or another.
Our evolutionary inheritance, therefore, has endowed us with a strong streak of pessimism which makes us scan horizons for risk and danger, dwell on what goes wrong in life and unconsciously downplay those things that go right.
This is exacerbated exponentially by increased communication opportunities. Headlines focus on what’s wrong, who’s in trouble and how close the “end of society as we’ve known it” might be.
The stark fact is that regardless of business reality, there is already a strong bias toward “half-empty” views. However, if recent elections are any indication, that may be changing as people from all strata of society are looking to embrace the strength, vision and drive of optimists.
