Cynicism is not a neutral position — and although it asks almost nothing of us, it is highly infectious and unbelievably destructive. IIn my view, it is the most common and easy of evils. I know this because much of my early life was spent holding the world and the people in it in contempt. It was a position both seductive and indulgent.

Unlike cynicism, hopefulness is hard-earned, makes demands upon us, and can often feel like the most indefensible and lonely place on Earth. Hopefulness is not a neutral position either. It is adversarial. It is the warrior emotion that can lay waste to cynicism. Each redemptive or loving act, as small as you like… keeps the devil down in the hole. It says the world and its inhabitants have value and are worth defending. It says the world is worth believing in. In time, we come to find that it is so.

<h2>3 IDEAS FROM ME</h2>I.“The beginning is mostly luck. The end is mostly choices.”​II.“There is always more than one way to do something. Write down as many ways as you can think of to achieve your desired outcome. Then, rank them based on how much time they take, how much money they cost, and how effective you expect them to be. Choose the best.”III.“Today might be the best chance you have to take action.The longer you wait, the more deeply embedded you get in your current lifestyle. Your habits solidify. Your beliefs harden. You get comfortable.It will never be easy, but it may also never be easier than it is right now.”<h2>2 QUOTES FROM OTHERS</h2>I.Former lawyer and professional poker player Cate Hall on asking for things that feel unreasonable:“Ask for things. Ask for things that feel unreasonable, to make sure your intuitions about what’s reasonable are accurate (of course, try not to be a jerk in the process). If you’re only asking for things you get, you’re not aiming high enough.”​II.Musician Nick Cave on cynicism and hopefulness:“Cynicism is not a neutral position — and although it asks almost nothing of us, it is highly infectious and unbelievably destructive. In my view, it is the most common and easy of evils. I know this because much of my early life was spent holding the world and the people in it in contempt. It was a position both seductive and indulgent…Unlike cynicism, hopefulness is hard-earned, makes demands upon us, and can often feel like the most indefensible and lonely place on Earth. Hopefulness is not a neutral position either. It is adversarial. It is the warrior emotion that can lay waste to cynicism. Each redemptive or loving act, as small as you like… keeps the devil down in the hole. It says the world and its inhabitants have value and are worth defending. It says the world is worth believing in. In time, we come to find that it is so.”<h2>1 QUESTION FOR YOU</h2>Timing influences communication.Talk about potential mistakes before they happen and people start looking for ways to prevent them.Talk about actual mistakes after they happen and people start looking for reasons to defend their actions.What do we need to be talking about now, so we can learn the lessons before we need them?Until next week,James Clear <a href="https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits" dir="ltr">​​​</a> Author of <a href="https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits" dir="ltr">​Atomic Habits​</a> Cofounder of <a href="https://authorsequity.com/" dir="ltr">​Authors Equity​</a><h2>Join Me</h2>Thanks for reading. You can get more actionable ideas in my popular email newsletter. Each week, I share 3 short ideas from me, 2 quotes from others, and 1 question to think about. Over 3,000,000 people subscribe. Enter your email now and join us.<div data-element="fields" data-stacked="false"><button data-element="submit">Try the free newsletter</button></div><div dir="ltr">P.S. Want short reminders on how to build better habits? Follow me on <a href="https://twitter.com/jamesclear" dir="ltr">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jamesclear/" dir="ltr">Instagram</a>.</div><div dir="ltr">


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“The beginning is mostly luck. The end is mostly choices.”

“There is always more than one way to do something. Write down as many ways as you can think of to achieve your desired outcome. Then, rank them based on how much time they take, how much money they cost, and how effective you expect them to be. Choose the best.”

“Today might be the best chance you have to take action.

The longer you wait, the more deeply embedded you get in your current lifestyle. Your habits solidify. Your beliefs harden. You get comfortable.

It will never be easy, but it may also never be easier than it is right now.”

Former lawyer and professional poker player Cate Hall on asking for things that feel unreasonable:

“Ask for things. Ask for things that feel unreasonable, to make sure your intuitions about what’s reasonable are accurate (of course, try not to be a jerk in the process). If you’re only asking for things you get, you’re not aiming high enough.”

Musician Nick Cave on cynicism and hopefulness:

“Cynicism is not a neutral position — and although it asks almost nothing of us, it is highly infectious and unbelievably destructive. In my view, it is the most common and easy of evils. I know this because much of my early life was spent holding the world and the people in it in contempt. It was a position both seductive and indulgent…

Unlike cynicism, hopefulness is hard-earned, makes demands upon us, and can often feel like the most indefensible and lonely place on Earth. Hopefulness is not a neutral position either. It is adversarial. It is the warrior emotion that can lay waste to cynicism. Each redemptive or loving act, as small as you like… keeps the devil down in the hole. It says the world and its inhabitants have value and are worth defending. It says the world is worth believing in. In time, we come to find that it is so.”

Talk about potential mistakes before they happen and people start looking for ways to prevent them.

Talk about actual mistakes after they happen and people start looking for reasons to defend their actions.

What do we need to be talking about now, so we can learn the lessons before we need them?

James Clear <a href="https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits">​​​ </a> Author of <a href="https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits">​Atomic Habits ​ </a> Cofounder of <a href="https://authorsequity.com/">​Authors Equity ​ </a>

Thanks for reading. You can get more actionable ideas in my popular email newsletter. Each week, I share 3 short ideas from me, 2 quotes from others, and 1 question to think about. Over 3,000,000 people subscribe . Enter your email now and join us.

The 3-2-1 Newsletter is one of the most popular newsletters in the world. Over 3,000,000 people subscribe. Each issue contains 3 short ideas from James Clear, 2 quotes from other people, and 1 question for you.

Cynicism And Hopefulness | Nick Cave

NICK CAVE

NICK CAVE

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