Physicist David Deutsch says “optimism is a way of explaining failure, not prophesying success.”

The reason things tend to get better is that there are so many blunders, screw-ups, and disasters to learn from. You can’t separate one from the other. Evolution doesn’t teach by showing you what works, but by destroying what doesn’t.

The biggest innovations don’t occur when everyone is happy and gainfully employed; they happen when there’s enough stress to push people into gear, forcing problem-solving.

Nassim Taleb says, “The excess energy released from overreaction to setbacks is what innovates!”

Innovation and advancement tend to compound. One person raises the bar over the previous limit, and that becomes the baseline for a new generation to aim for and build upon.

Charlie Munger says, “The world is not driven by greed; it’s driven by envy.” You see someone accomplish a new feat and think, “I should be able to do that too – and even better.”