Optimism

Optimism is a political act. Entrenched interests promote despair, confusion, and apathy to prevent change. They encourage us to think that problems can't be solved, that nothing we do can matter, that the issues are too complex to allow even the possibility of change. It is a long-standing political art to sow the seeds of mistrust among those you would rule: as Machiavelli taught, tyrants do not care if they are hated, as long as those under them do not love one another. Cynicism is often seen as a rebellious attitude in Western popular culture, but in reality, our cynicism advances the desires of the powerful; cynicism is obedience.
When no one believes in a better future, despair is a logical choice- and people in despair almost never change anything. When no one believes there might be a better solution, those who benefit from the status quo are safe. When no one believes in the possibility of action, apathy becomes an insurmountable obstacle to reform.
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