What makes you optimistic for the future?

Only in a general way. I strongly believe that life, in general, is a product of cycles, and that all cycles change over time. I have found this to be true in my life, my happiness, my health, and so on.

Back ten year ago, when the recession started, I lost just under half my savings (paper losses) as a result of the financial shenanigans. But I didn’t freak out, and had faith that cycles of economic growth would make me whole again. And they have.

Same with the state of the country today. Although things look bleak and disorganized now in American society, I see this as part of 30–35 year cycle, and that all will come back to equilibrium over time.

So my optimism stems from my belief that bad things, over time, tend to get better.

Or as George Harrison wrote, link

Being in a semi-volunteer time travel with visons of an alternative reality. I get unlimited do overs. I am an immortal trapped in a time loop. Also I am benefiting from the miracle. Every thing will get better a small increment at a time. If I willing to redo everything back 20 years about. Also every time plus 2 weeks. Either I am an immortal trapped in a time loop or have brain damage or temporal lobe epilepsy.

That mankind will snuff itself out before taking all other life forms with him.

It can’t get MUCH worse than it is now. That’s an encouraging thought

A scientist wrote recently that mankind might snuff themselves out but the earth will still exist. That was comforting in a way.

Tough question these days. Maybe it’s naive of me, but I genuinely think that things will get slowly better over the long term, as they have done over most of history. There will always be these horrible microcosms in history, but the general trend is for things to improve over time.

I don’t know. Just when everything starts looking up the shit hits the fan. There’s always something. I’m ready to give up.

Overpopulation will have it’s day, and it won’t be pretty.
Antibiotic resistant infections will drop the expected life span to where it was 120–150 years ago. That will get really ugly before it all balances out.
The growing lack of fresh water will hit and hit hard. And soon.
Sea level rise will be monumental, but not in any good ways.
Yupper, the future looks so bright, I gotta wear shades. Or blinders.

Having fun every day.

Having things to look forward to.

Having people around me who have reinvented themselves more than once.

Warm weather and sunshine.

Dancing with friends.

Robotic housestaff, save a shit ton on wages.

Children.

That there is still resistance to the political evil that has cloaked America with small-mindedness and cruelty these days.

Once resistance is gone here in the US, no reason to be optimistic.