Stoically optimistic

I was asked recently how I was thinking about 2026.

After a little reflection on the past year I said, “Stoically optimistic”.

Upon a little more reflection, I tried to deconstruct what I meant — the optimistic part is self-explanatory because I tend to look to the positive when it comes to future prospects. But what did I mean by “stoically”? Was it about taking on whatever comes my way and that I will manage through it, even if it turns into a shit show?

Is it simply an attitude or is it an understanding of myself that has me believing in my capabilities? I have competencies and skills, can be a critical thinker, have a strong network, have goals to keep me on the path I have chosen, know that life is for living and that there is a right way to do it*. So, after a little more reflection, I want 2026 to be a great year but if it isn’t, I will work to make the best of it using all the tools at my disposal.

Tomorrow we get into 2026 full throttle — kids back to school and adults back to work with expectations and demands, social media and influencers will offer perspectives regarding everything you are doing incorrectly, and AI will be chipping away at your agency more than ever. Considering all of that and more, I don’t think having a little stoic optimism is a bad thing.

To everyone I know, and those I haven’t met yet, please have a safe and fulfilling 2026!!

iamgpe

*it’s worth reading Meditations by Marcus Aurelius because he has thoughts on this and many other things.

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Reflections — a "poor philosopher"

As I creep closer to one hundred years on this planet, I find myself wondering if I could hit such a lofty goal healthier than ever, but mostly I find myself freeing up white space to think and reflect on things.

At my core, I’ve determined that I’m equal parts, “a poor scientist” and “a poor artist” — a curious combination, although if I look at this as a Venn Diagram, the section that overlaps has offered a wonderful commercial career in the biotechnology and healthcare field. To this day, I meet smart and interesting people, who have challenged me in wonderful ways, I’ve laughed often, cried occasionally, and done some things that still endure today.

I’ve recently determined a third part, a third circle in my Venn Diagram that has started to find its way onto the page — I am affectionately calling this “a poor philosopher”.

Where did this come from? I believe it started when I read Meditations by Marcus Aurelius and began a journey to understand the ego, explore the ideas of other philosophers such as Alfred Adler, and ask, “What if everything I know and how I think is wrong?” I’ve always been a proponent of different perspectives and voices to find a better solution but now want to challenge the way I look at things and my critical thinking in different ways. There is a realization that my poor philosopher is crucial to protect my agency in the age of AI and to combat the doublethink and multitude of influencers that have found their way into every social feed.

My first-year philosophy course suggested I am on the right path when I say, “I’m a poor philosopher” — this is fine because I am now looking at the intersection in a three-circle Venn Diagram. It is here that the sum will be greater than its parts.

What will this look like? It’s part of the journey and still coming into focus, but I do know it will be one part science, one part art, and one part philosophy.

iamgpe

The Age of Insecurity — a perspective

As a matter of course, I always have a number of books on the go. As a generalization they fall into two categories: mind candy in the form of science and fantasy fiction and more serious works such as autobiographies, philosophies and current topics of importance — basically, fun or serious. My latest “serious book” is entitled The Age of Insecurity by Astra Taylor (part of the CBC Massey Lectures).

As I started into the first chapter entitled Cura’s gift, who as an aside is the Roman goddess that embodies care, concern, anxiety and worry, there was just something that wasn’t sitting right with me — and it had nothing to do with a questionable divinity. As I put the book down, all I could wonder is if there’s an Age of Insecurity as the title suggests, that would mean there has been an Age of Security. Also, the word insecurity just seems to be one of those modern words favoured in rhetoric that has no interest in the depth and nuance of things.

What I find challenging is I don’t believe there has ever been an Age of Security and being secure is simply not part of the evolutionary model on this beautiful blue planet. To suggest that insecurity is something that is a negative and not the very thing that has brought us to the height of our civilization is misguided at best.

Insecurity or as I prefer to say, “discomfort”, is the motivator that drives change, adaptation, new ways of doing things, and is the very security we are looking for. If you are a fan of Charles Darwin, you can simply defer to survival of the fittest or at the individual level — if the current situation is uncomfortable, it is the driver to change the situation. Mother Earth has never offered security, and that simple fact has us all working to find a way to strive for enough security to leave our mark. To leave the impression that security is a right of life simply creates a complacency and denies the development of the very tools needed to be successful.

Don’t misunderstand me, I am not suggesting it is fair, but rather saying to suggest that it is any different is problematic for developing the very tools to make your way and be successful. Arguably, more than any time over the past 150,000 years, it is easier for us to find security when it comes to our basic needs and the ability to thrive. In fact, I would also suggest if you are feeling secure, you should search out discomfort and keep your skills sharp because things change — you lose your job, a flood destroys your house, civil unrest happens, you are replaced by AI, et cetera.

I believe in a culture with a helping hand, I just don’t want it to come with a message that is contrary to the Human Condition and suggesting otherwise guarantees problems. It is quite possible I have totally misunderstood the message of The Age of Insecurity and will follow-up to let you know.

As I have said before, “Get Comfortable with being Uncomfortable” — it will serve you well.

iamgpe