#davesdailychallenge (101): The Value of Ultimate Pessimism. Here we go everyone…the second hundred challenges are underway! There are some great things planned over the next few months so stay tuned for what is coming! I could have just as easily entitled today’s piece “The Danger of Ultimate Optimism” because the take away is the same. The bottom line is this…rarely, if ever, are things as truly bad as they seem when everyone is at their most pessimistic. Some of the most successful investors, businesspeople, politicians, athletes, etc…are as successful as they are because they know this fact. They look at the situation and know that human nature has a way of pushing fear to its illogical extreme. When we reach that point of ultimate pessimism an outstanding opportunity exists to be the contrarian. Investing your time, talents, and other finite resources at that point can have profoundly positive returns in the long term. The trick is to maintain your bearing throughout the downturn in order to keep a rational mind. Do this and you’ll be able to play the role of “chaos-proof” leader and pounce when the time is right. Good luck my friends!