In a Lex Fridman podcast with Stephen Wolfram, Fridman observes that in some ways Wolfram and Elon Musk are alike. Wolfram agrees. The similarity is what Wolfr

In a Lex Fridman podcast with Stephen Wolfram, Fridman observes that in some ways Wolfram and Elon Musk are alike. Wolfram agrees. The similarity is what Wolfram calls "Optimism" - a strong belief that not only can they accomplish great things but that they can do so relatively quickly. This is Elon Musk saying self-driving cars are going to happen by the end of the year, or Wolfram saying he's discovering the unified theory of everything. The idea they touch on in the podcast is that this optimism helps people do great things. If you realized the thing you want is decades away, you might not even try. If you (incorrectly) think you are on the cusp of achieving some monumental goal then you may strive for it and, throughout those decades, you may keep believing you are on the cusp and keep striving until you finally reach your goal. This is connected to the idea of "Depressive realism" - which is the idea that depressed people are often more realistic about the world. Perhaps, to be productive, it helps to have a somewhat delusional belief or confidence in your own abilities.