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This article paints a very negative picture. It might feel "safe" to always focus on the bad things, but optimists typically get more done. Would Torvalds ever

This article paints a very negative picture. It might feel "safe" to always focus on the bad things, but optimists typically get more done. Would Torvalds ever have started working on the Linux kernel if he wasn't an enormous optimists? He says that he is an enormous optimist in [1]. Similarly, Robert Noyce (Intel cofounder) said: "an essential ingredient of innovation. How else can the individual welcome change over security, adventure over staying in safe places?" And if you take off the dark colored glasses, there are things to be optimistic about. For example, in response to the Freedom House picture. The world is a power law. Statistics about total numbers of countries paint only half the picture because some small dictatorial countries matters less than huge countries such as the USA or Germany with liberal democracies. Compared to the 1950's, for example, Japan and South Korea have become a friend of the West, which is a major win for everybody if you ask me. In general, I rather live in 2023 than 1990. Entertainment, healthcare, transportation, and availability of knowledge are all much better. Yes, some people end up using things they might regret later, but that doesn't hold for everybody. A more productive mindset, I think, is to pick some "bad" things and focus on trying to make those things a little bit better. It's the "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade". Yes, there are some real problems, but it's not all bad. Only chipping away at the problems will solve them. [1]: https://youtu.be/OvuEYtkOH88 https://youtu.be/OvuEYtkOH88

jacknews 3y ago
This makes no sense, and is actually quite patronizing. The author is not really being pessimistic, but simply saying the current system kinda sucks, as a big picture. It could be so much better (yes of course it could also be worse). Or more likely, a different system, focused on human flourishing rather than profit-uber-alles, could be so much better. That seems quite optimistic to me.
- poisonborz 3y ago
  > It could be so much better At which point in human history will this not be true? I, too, tend to concentrate more on problems rather than what was achieved, but without that in hindsight you can be perpetually miserable for no reason.
- huijzer 3y ago
  > The author is not really being pessimistic Yes, you are right that I guessed the mindset of the author. My reasoning is that the title is "History will not remember us fondly". This is not a statement that we can with certainty verify today. It could be true, it could be false. Claiming that it is true is a very negative view, I would say. But you're right that I would have better focused on the argument. Thank you for the feedback. > Or more likely, a different system, focused on human flourishing rather than profit-uber-alles, could be so much better. That's my point. Let's try to fix the current system step by step. Capitalism is not perfect, but it can be better. Or as Churchill put it in 1947: "democracy is the worst form of government, except for all those others that have been tried." I think it's the same for capitalism. There seems to be some idea going around nowadays that there is some kind of third system that will solve all problems, but I don't see much practical evidence for that. Also, "profit-uber-alles" is not what all companies aim for. Sure profits are important and there are many examples of. companies where the investors have taken over and aim for profit only. However, that's not a long term strategy. Companies which aim to make the life of consumers genuinely better tend to do better because morale is higher.
  - jacknews 3y ago
    Yes you're right there's currently no 'third system' just as there's no 'new democracy'. But we should be looking. In the case of capitalism, I think it is inherently and fundamentally misaligned, and can only be 'tamed', 'harnessed' and 'counterbalanced' to provide benefits to society, just as we currently do with taxes, fair trade/antitrust laws, and so on, but not actually 'fixed'.

jacknews 3y ago

This makes no sense, and is actually quite patronizing. The author is not really being pessimistic, but simply saying the current system kinda sucks, as a big picture. It could be so much better (yes of course it could also be worse). Or more likely, a different system, focused on human flourishing rather than profit-uber-alles, could be so much better. That seems quite optimistic to me.

poisonborz 3y ago
> It could be so much better At which point in human history will this not be true? I, too, tend to concentrate more on problems rather than what was achieved, but without that in hindsight you can be perpetually miserable for no reason.
huijzer 3y ago
> The author is not really being pessimistic Yes, you are right that I guessed the mindset of the author. My reasoning is that the title is "History will not remember us fondly". This is not a statement that we can with certainty verify today. It could be true, it could be false. Claiming that it is true is a very negative view, I would say. But you're right that I would have better focused on the argument. Thank you for the feedback. > Or more likely, a different system, focused on human flourishing rather than profit-uber-alles, could be so much better. That's my point. Let's try to fix the current system step by step. Capitalism is not perfect, but it can be better. Or as Churchill put it in 1947: "democracy is the worst form of government, except for all those others that have been tried." I think it's the same for capitalism. There seems to be some idea going around nowadays that there is some kind of third system that will solve all problems, but I don't see much practical evidence for that. Also, "profit-uber-alles" is not what all companies aim for. Sure profits are important and there are many examples of. companies where the investors have taken over and aim for profit only. However, that's not a long term strategy. Companies which aim to make the life of consumers genuinely better tend to do better because morale is higher.
- jacknews 3y ago
  Yes you're right there's currently no 'third system' just as there's no 'new democracy'. But we should be looking. In the case of capitalism, I think it is inherently and fundamentally misaligned, and can only be 'tamed', 'harnessed' and 'counterbalanced' to provide benefits to society, just as we currently do with taxes, fair trade/antitrust laws, and so on, but not actually 'fixed'.