Evening star., 1943-11-15
The Uses of Optimism

he Uses OF Optimism
DESPITE official efforts to curb it.
optimism still prevails in both Brit
ain and the United States. A year of
unbroken Allied advances has raised
1t from flicker to flame, and as
Hitler's prospects grow steadily more
hopeless, words of warning, words
cautioning that the bitterest battles
may yet lie ahead, cannot quench it.
1t feeds on events, and as long as
those events are great and victorious,
1t will remain sturdy and stubborn,
no matter how much it may be de-
plored for encouraging us to relax in
our war effort.
But optimism does not necessarily
have quite the effect some people
ascribe to it. Perhaps, when kept
within reasonable limits, it actually
stimulates us to do more. The peo-
pie Of this country, at any rate, have
lelt it for some months past, and yet
the planes and ships and all the
other things we need for war have
been pouring out at a rate never
before achieved in the history of
production. BY the same token, too,
our troops in the field, our ships at
sea and our far-ranging air fleets
have been giving an excellent ac-
count of themselves. In this sense,
obviously, Americas supremely con-
fident attitude during the last half
year and more has led to no per-
ceptible coasting on the road to vic
tory; on the contrary, despite our
mood, we have progressively stepped
up our activities both on the assem-
bly, line and the battle line.
Optimism, after all, is not COM
placency. 1t is not wishful thinking
run wild. 1t is high-heartedness. 1t
is the cheerful and hopeful view of
the world. And when it is held with
in bounds. it has its uses. The
pioneers who carved an empire out
OF this continent were buoyed up by
1t. 1t is one of the intangible ele-
ments that helped to put together
the brick. steel and mortar of our
great dams and our skyscraper cities.
1t is part OF the spirit that went into
the development OF our railroads,
our waterways. our farmlands, our
giant industries. It Is as American
as corn on the cob and pumpkin pie.
And except for times when we have
let ourselves down, as during the
last depression, it has always been
one OF our national characteristics.
so much so that travellers from
abroad have made cliche of saying
there must be something in the
American air that makes us that
way.
This kind Of optimism is not the
kind that should induce any of us to
rest on our oars at this juncture. In
fact. If anything, it should stimulate
US to even greater effort. just as a
prize fighter is stimulated when he
goes In to make the next round the
last one because he knows that the
other fellow has been punched
groggy and that a little extra weight
behind few more punches will
bring on the count of ten. Armies
are like that. too; when they have
the enemy on the run, when they are
confident and see the bright chance.
they are inspired to move in as
swiftly as possible, and with all their
strength, for the kill.
In short. it may at least be argued
that moderate optimism, as distinct
from light-headed cocksureness or
blind smugness. can accommodate
itself to the realistic view and may
even be a stimulant. having much
the same tonic effect as it had on
the pioneers who built our land. For
man can be filled with it and still
be sensible enough to realize that
many hard and terrible day may
pass before the ultimate victory is
won; and because of that very fact
and because he knows that the war
can be shortened by all-out action
now. he may actually be more apt
to redouble his effort than the pessi-
mist who is doubtful about every-
thing or the emotional neutral who
has no strong feelings one way or
the other. Viewed in this light, the
optimist does not seem to merit
being condemned out of hand.