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The Productive Afterward

Summary

JA Westenberg's essay on the merits of optimism is a helpful reminder.

Published on February 25, 2026 by Christopher Butler
[SOT]

[11]This, from JA Westenberg, is well-put:

    “I’m going to argue that the pessimists have the best narratives and the
    worst track record. The doom scenarios require assumptions that don’t
    survive contact with economic history, and the psychological posture you
    bring to this moment actually matters for how it turns out.”

Westenberg’s essay is about why optimism at a time like the present makes
sense. It’s exactly the sort of thing—when thoughtfully argued and laden with
examples—that I need to read, as I tend to articulate optimism while
internalizing the opposite. I tend to give every catastrophe a hearing, and
even a momentary “what if this is right” leaves a mark on brain matter. That
isn’t to say that ignoring all warnings is a good idea, nor is that what
Westenberg recommends. But it is a helpful reminder that “catastrophist keep
being wrong.” And one benefit to aging is that you can accumulate many
directly-lived examples of just that.

I do appreciate the implicit message throughout this piece that reminds me of
something important: we do experience great changes—the status quo isn’t
untouchable—but the human drive to do something is both the most reliable force
in ensuring future technological threats to our way of life and the productive
afterward.

[EOT]

© Christopher Butler. All rights reserved.

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