According to a report by the National Institute of Mental Health, up to 25% of all college students struggle with an eating disorder (“Addiction Center…”). According to an interview survey study, 89% of participants indicated difficulty in concentrating on academic work due to various sources of distraction. According to a 2023 survey, 44% of college students reported symptoms of depression; 37% said they experienced anxiety; and 15% said they were considering suicide – the highest rate in the 15-year history of the survey (Ellen Flannery, 2023). As per USA Today, the average student loan debt for college graduates in Mississippi is $29,714 (Safier and Harrison, 2023).
The aforementioned are all still happening, and humans are still roaming the surfaces of the earth. Amidst all this news, there exist two types of people: optimists and pessimists. The pessimists, amidst all these statistics, swirl into a circle of doubt and anxiety leading to a spike in cortisol that could in turn have disastrous effects on their well-being. However, the optimists push and believe, don’t they? From a contrarian perspective, the optimists vary, and one party’s experiences even worse anxiety than the pessimists – irrational optimists. In such cases, optimism could be fatal.
As college students, there is a great need for not just critical thinking, but also a high level of rationalism. From a philosophical perspective, all rationalism must have a basis of reason. As college students, we can’t fall victim to pessimism or optimism, rather we must call into quotient – rational optimism or realism. In explicit terms, rational optimism involves believing in the prosperity of failure while being adequately prepared to tackle and adapt to the necessities of the present. In other words, rational optimism effectively equates to realism – being realistic with oneself.
In the lens of business, Forbes’ writer, Rakish Soni, excellently differentiates both perspectives – “A business leader who is rationally optimistic about a company’s future, or even just one project, is usually confident and enthusiastic about their decision making, believing their decisions will lead to success, so they remain committed when things don’t go according to plan, while irrational optimism often causes leaders to ignore data that suggests they change course or make other adjustments based on current market conditions or changing consumer preferences, resulting in missed opportunities and deadlines if not addressed early enough” (2023).
I don’t give advice; I use reason – optimism can make or mar you, depending on your end of the spectrum.
Speaking of spectrums, there are two even we, as students, can embrace. On one end, we are neurologically dysfunctional and delusional, creating no systems, setting lofty goals, and discarding all evidence, craving for that success. On the other end, we have systems in place; we are realistic with ourselves, predicting roadblocks, setting smart goals, and craving success. In most common sense, the latter will triumph because there is a concrete reason behind their optimism. As students and as humans, our goals are simply wishes without any systems in place. In such cases, our optimism is almost useless because there is no foundation for such goals to actualize into reality. This is why I have always relied on realism – taking accountability, modifying my systems, and adapting accordingly. In such a fashion, the optimism bias has no authority over me.
Thereafter, there must be reason to be optimistic about tomorrow’s uncertainties. What are the new systems? Change of study environment? Change of friends? Minimizing screen time? We must not only take accountability but also act. These actions give us reason to be rationally optimistic ahead of tomorrow’s uncertainties. The great thing about systems? They compound results. With compounding results comes increased confidence. With increased confidence comes increased rational optimism and the cycle repeats itself with consistency. There is a disclaimer though: there must be moderation and caution. There is a thin line between rational optimism and irrational optimism. To judge for such circumstances, find and embrace the foundation of all rationalism – REASON.
As always, uncertainties are the spices of life. According to Sir Francis Bacon, “If a man will begin with certainties, he shall end in doubts, but if he will be content to begin with doubts, he shall end in certainties.”
Beginning with doubts, we must embrace our uncertainties with rational optimism – being realistic with ourselves, grounding ourselves in rational REASON, and staying bold and open to wise modifications and adaptations. Even in the face of uncertainties, Mother Theresa reminds us “Yesterday is gone, tomorrow has not yet come; we have only today; let’s begin.”
Start today with rational optimism. We’re all in this together. We rise by lifting others.