America’s Spirit?

This is a very interesting graphic summary of a recent WSJ survey:

The article that accompanied it (WSJ September 2, 2025 if you want to look it up) had these takeaways:

1. People don’t believe they can get ahead anymore

• Only 1 in 4 think they’ll improve their standard of living—lowest since ‘87
• 70% say the American Dream is dead or never real
• Most don’t think life will be better for the next generation

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2. Pessimism is everywhere, not just one group

• Doesn’t matter your income, age, education, or political party
• Even high earners feel financially fragile
• A lot of people feel like they’re doing “fine” but still stuck

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3. People think it used to be easier—and the future looks worse

• Most say their parents had it easier buying homes or raising kids
• Most don’t think their kids will afford a home or retire securely
• Adult kids are moving back in with parents just to save

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4. The numbers say one thing, people feel something else

• Inflation and unemployment are stable, but nobody feels it
• Consumer sentiment is way below what metrics predict
• The fear now is more about the future, not just today

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5. We’ve been hit from all sides, for years

• Great Recession → COVID → inflation → AI/job fear → tariffs
• It’s a cumulative hit: not just one thing, but wave after wave
• People are worn down and don’t feel like hard work is enough

First of all — if you feel defeated, you’ll act defeated. And then? That feeling, perception, and attitude become your reality.

Here is the reality gap right now, from the same article (predicted is looking at actual economic numbers):

Optimists see openings that pessimists can’t. They believe in themselves. They try. They persist. They adapt. They overcome.

People in hard situations have succeeded. Mandela could’ve given up. So could Gandhi. So could Mother Teresa. But they didn’t and all three had it much harder than you. They hoped. They believed. And because of that, they moved mountains.

Right now, America’s mood is lemmings headed off the pessimism cliff. But you don’t have to follow. Yes, mortgage rates are higher than they’ve been in recent years — but in the 1980s, they hovered around 12–14%, and people still bought homes. Yes, inflation hurts — but it was worse in the ’70s and early ’80s, when prices and wages were both on a wild ride. Yes, there are challenges—but every era has them. Unemployment was higher for much of the post-war 20th century than it is today.

The truth is: there’s always something outside your control. The only thing that matters is how you respond to it.

If you’re willing to hustle…
If you are willing to put off purchases until you can actually pay cash…
If you’re open to looking for and tackling jobs with more upside…
If you are a lifelong student who embraces new tech to do things better…
If you stay disciplined, live below your means, save, invest, and give it time to compound—
You can build a life with more freedom, more impact, and more possibility than the one your parents had.

Be a contrarian. Don’t follow the herd of lemmings. Be one of the Optimistic Few.

IM Optimisman