Radical Optimism is not blind. it does not deny basic hardship, hypocrisy, ignorance, discrimination, bad hair days, eroding beaches, landfills in space, bad art, the end of print, lack of affordable housing, fear of the other, fear of the future, the inability to listen, not being believed, being falsely accused, catty cruelty, toxic masculinity, fires, floods, oils spills, water shortages, plastic in our food, cancer, radical extremism, the effects of radical extremism, the reasons behind radical extremism, the end of insects, the cost of healthcare, taxes, corruption, stress, student debt, predatory loans, gross overconsumption, avocado shortages, food deserts, diabetes, ingrown toenails, mike pence, cultural intolerance, lactose intolerance, misunderstanding, orthodoxy, climate deniers, people who live in cities take airplanes and complain about climate deniers, elitism, classism, sexism, racism, ageism, able-bodyism,

BE RADICALLY OPTIMISTIC

colonialism, neglected puppies, identity theft, razor burn, paper cuts, patriarchy, dirty diapers, generational trauma, sexual abuse, separation of families, elephant poaching, why someone would ever elephant poach in the first place, abuse of power, protecting those abusing power, more money going to the military than healthcare, education & infrastructure combined, transphobia, homophobia, heterophobia, islamophobia, claustrophobia, aids, asbestos in baby powder, flint michigan, clear cutting the amazon, killing of journalists, gun violence, police violence, domestic violence, genocide, regime change, root canals, lyme disease, bad breath, road rage, cultural appropriation, peanut allergies, white supremacy, sweat shop labor, refugees, religious bigotry, herpes, gluten, the government, high cholesterol, bad cologne, migraines, grief, the continual stealing of native land, the prison industrial complex, the acidification of the ocean, justifying our history, war, hatred, jealousy, insecurity, hunger, thirst, pain, loss, suffering. Radical optimism exists in the tension between total overwhelm and outright denial, making holes in the wall and shining through.