A woman recently wrote online about how her friend’s dog was “very smart at life.” Dogs do seem to live in a way many humans would envy. And dogs are extra-lucky in that they are free from having to make reasonable decisions about their futures in spite of endless click-bait bad news and alarming predictions about supposedly-unavoidable doom & gloom.
Three examples:
1. Young people today are confronted with claims that “AI will destroy all the jobs” and that “AI will change everything.” That’s alarming. Is it true? No one knows, but probably not. In the 1980s, plenty of people said computers would “change everything.” Computers did change a lot – very often for the better. But computers didn’t “change everything,” by any means.
2. For anyone thinking about buying a house, it’s all too easy to be worried that it will never be the right time. If prices are going down, conventional wisdom says that could be a bad sign. If prices are going up, that could be a bad sign too. It can be unnerving.
3. A few years ago, I spoke with an 81-year-old gentleman who wanted to take out a mortgage on his paid-off house. He said he’d thought he’d be dead by 81. But he was still very much alive. He’d heard he was “too old” to get a mortgage. As it so happens, he had an income that let him qualify for a loan and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act means age is not a barrier to mortgage applicants – another change for the better.
Being “smart about money” can cover a lot of territory. One important aspect is coming up with a plan for how you intend to think about the unknown – especially things that sound bad but you have no way of knowing how they will affect you, if they ever affect you at all.
Worrying things do happen. And – in many cases – people say that even things that seemed “bad” in the moment turned out to be better for them in some unexpected way. Being prepared to look at things philosophically helps. That includes taking the long view and finding ways to take breaks from current pressing concerns and problems.
It absolutely helps to remain as optimistic as possible and to look for ways to create your own opportunities. People do so much online these days but it can be very helpful and more effective to talk with people who have experience with a situation you’re dealing with. Other people are often an amazingly good source of ideas, and encouragement.
What else works? Keep developing your skills and knowledge. Take the next “best step” if there is one. Avoid comparing yourself to others.
Yes, it can be difficult (or impossible) to confidently plan for what things will be like many years from now – like trying to see 2025 clearly from 1995. It’s easier to be able to make decisions for yourself for the next year or a few years ahead.
But do expect to live longer than the predictions. Of course, not everyone does. One thing that seems to be consistent is that – thanks to medical advances – millions of people are living healthy and happy lives much longer than they ever thought they would. Do your future self a favor and plan for that.
Bottom line: Expect things to work out for you and you may be very pleasantly surprised to see how often they do. That’s the power and the value of optimism.
From the “Smart About Money” Canton Citizen column published on November 27 2025.
Nick Maffeo is the President & CEO of Canton Co-operative Bank – right next to the Post Office – in Canton.
Have a question? Email to info@cantoncoopbank.com.