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PART
TWO
According to the early
twentieth century Italian philosopher Antonio Gramsci, we need both
the pessimism of the intellect and the optimism of the will. Our
pessimism forces us to see reality and calculate what actions are
available to us. Our optimism provides us the hope that our actions will
result in positive changes and inspire us to act rather than despair.
Assess any situation with your intellect. Do not hide from the truth.
Imagine what actions are possible. Project the best possible outcome.
Act for change to make the best outcome happen.
Havent we
been sweating bullets this month? Its the economy again, an easy
month to
be pessimistic, and a hard month to be optimistic. Im hearing and
reading all kinds of comments. Heres a sampling (with my comments
attached):
One news report
claimed that no bank is absolutely safe.
(Pessimism of the intellect?)
Another report said
many people are planning cut their losses by not eating in
restaurants. (Optimism of the
will?)
One man (perhaps
many people) hedged his AIG life insurance policy by purchasing a
lottery ticket. (Possibly
pessimism of the intellect coupled with optimism of the will?)
My investment
manager wrote me: This is the world we are
forced to deal with, and
its my intention to do it (carry
on in the business) with integrity and diligence.
(Definitely pessimism of the intellect coupled with
optimism of the will.)
A school crossing guard I know says he no
longer reads or listens to the financial
news. (Ditto.)
At a press conference the President said, Our
financial markets continue to deal with
serious challenges. As our recent
actions demonstrate, my administration is focused
on meeting these challenges. An
Associated Press reporter who was present
wrote
that as The President finished
his very brief statement and turned to walk back into
the Oval Office, a reporter asked
if he believed the economy was still sound. The
President kept walking.
(Possibly optimism of the will followed by, well, just
pessimism?)
What does
this philosophy have to do with travel? It strikes me that seven years
of hard times have taken a large toll on the psyche of Americans. Hope
and optimism have eroded, replaced by fear and cynicism. The
pessimism/optimism equation has become skewed way out of balance. During
times when our American optimism was extremely high (think the 1950s and
1960s), we were naοve but fearless travelers. Today after a plague of
seven long years of bad news first the attacks on America in 2001,
then the ongoing wars in the Middle East, and now the double-headed
economic monster of the housing market caused recession coupled with
energy-fueled inflation we have become overly cautious, frightened
non-travelers.
Meanwhile,
every year we choose to stay home our individual windows of travel
opportunity close a little further. Today many Americans look at the
present and conclude that they are seeing the future. By denying what is
possible, we only ensure that positive change will not occur. Travel,
meanwhile, has become more difficult and more expensive since September
11, 2001. But while the processes and costs of travel have become more
daunting, the potential rewards of travel have not diminished. In fact,
they remain yours for the taking. You need only recognize the realities
of travel and not let them paralyze you with fear. Let the optimism of
your will balance the pessimism of your intellect.
UPDATE:
Last time we wrote about the pessimism/optimism of a 13-year-old
baseball player named Sean who needed a heart valve. He got the valve,
and since has been riding a roller coaster: two collapsed lungs, fluid
around the heart, in and out of the hospital a few times, and
after missing some time in September,
finally, back in school. Restricted by his cardiac doctors from carrying
his own book bag, Sean was dreading asking any of his teenage pals to
help. He didnt have to: they volunteered to carry his books home for
him. Seans mom reports, Its
funny and cool at the same time, how the tough guys are all over
themselves to help him. And then, suddenly, Sean's
body healed. In early October Sean's doctors cleared him for activity,
including non-contact sports. On a recent Saturday Sean showed up
unexpectedly at fall baseball practice, where he played error-free
defense at first base and went 3-for-3 at the plate.
--------------------
Ron Fahnestock
Editor
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