Do Nothing.

The last few months, as simultaneously blurry and vivid as they seemed, could be described as a headache in most books, or as a revelation for the perennially pessimistic people, like myself. However the deterrent an outright pessimist faces is their subjection to a guilt-plagued life that springs from failing to act on prior knowledge of a problem.

So obviously, my innate weakness, which I call “convenience”, dictates that ultimately, my approach would require a Band-Aid and painkillers which will relieve the headaches intermittently and generate some sympathy (read attention) for me. It will also require a healthy number of BC meetings. Where this method fails me is the lack of mitigation of the thousand failures (potential and actual) and pressures (potential and actual) eating into the substance of my brain. Admittedly, knowledge doesn’t always mean power and the age-old truism “ignorance is bliss” hardly ever fails.

Occasionally, I believe I’d be better off if I was more worrisome, constantly seeking improvements and not caring what these changes cost me. At face value, the gains of seeking such changes are plenty. It casually comes with the assurance of intrinsic happiness, a nirvana on earth. However, a missing warning label would be that its failure carries a calamitous suppository effect – of disappointment (yet again) and opportunity cost, to mention the most important contributors. This can be quite tasking to come out of without some trauma (maybe I’m a repressed victim of this, maybe).

Albeit being so compelling and often lacking any surface blemish, seeking change is a dicey decision in which knowledge of one’s gains, and also knowledge of the meaning of failure are equally important. Every sort of change has a level of uncertainty and the off-chance that one fails to succeed means that limitation of exposure and prevention of a blow-up (in Wall Street lingo) may be more rewarding than the so-called gains of change (obvious example – APC’s Change).

Another by-product of failing in one’s pursuit of change – and ultimately intrinsic happiness – is the increased vulnerability to developing Happiness Destination Syndrome or Destination Addiction (that non-DSM and non-ICD condition that its sufferer possesses an inherent belief that happiness would be found at an illusive destination and is never present where they currently are).

The sculptors of intrinsic happiness (ie religious leaders, motivational speakers etc.) failed us when they asked us to look within ourselves. This description neglects the contribution of survivorship bias, variations in threshold for happiness & adjusted expectations, and the influence of the social environment. Their ultimate failure was their inability to demystify its supposed existence to the serial unbeliever, whom experience has shown that there are flaws in most systems and achieving success in each is probabilistic.

So, it’s somewhat logical that a fairly pessimistic individual paradoxically opts to relieve a symptom – the headache – over treating the disease – the revelation (paradoxical because the symptom is usually less gruesome than the disease and it’s fairly optimistic to believe it’s just a headache). “Do nothing” may just be a pessimistic approach after all which involves a lot more than perceived inactivity, and not the lazy narrative being peddled around in the marketplace of ideas.

It will also require a healthy number of BC meetings.

Happy Easter.