The Optimism Equation - A CEO’s Perspective

Chant Vartanian is the CEO of M-Theory Group, a Los Angeles-based IT infrastructure, cloud solutions and cybersecurity firm.

My brother-in-law asked me to be his best man at his wedding. Although I considered it a major honor, it, of course, required me to stand in front of an audience and give a heartfelt speech.

For those who know me intimately, this was akin to asking me to climb Mt. Yerevan, and I am no mountain climber. I was happy to do it, but certainly under silent protest. I decided to open with a spicy line: “Never sweat the petty things and just pet the sweaty things.”

“Never sweat the petty things” seems like a very simple concept to grasp, arguably, everyone could agree to it, at least in principle. But is it as easy as deciding to not “sweat” most situations? Is it a certain personality trait or a learned behavior?

I view optimism as “optimalism” – a method to optimize my experiences. As I gradually (but not gracefully) mature, my experience shapes my worldview and my understanding of people and business in general. From what I can tell, most people sweat petty things, inevitably negatively impacting their goals and the people around them. Most importantly, it impacts their happiness and overall wellbeing. We all have family and friends who argue or panic over petty things. You tolerate this trait because “it’s family,” but it’s important to avoid this behavior in professional life.

I recently read a compelling blog post, written by a well-known hotelier, providing insights on how to increase your emotional fluency. He boiled down many emotions into simple formulas we can easily understand. An example: Despair is the difference between Suffering and Meaning [D = S–M]; or Innovation is the difference between Creativity and Cynicism[I = Cr + Cy]. The genius lies in the simplicity of each formula. This represents a clear path to having the ability to tailor your emotional responses. I have personality flaws, some of which are obvious, while others are only known by those closest to me.

The one thing I can proudly say is that I have a pretty good handle on my emotions. I can typically predict and control my emotional reactions even through difficult situations (some visceral responses excluded). The blog post had me wondering where this “ability” comes from. Is it a personality trait embedded in my DNA? Is it learned through observation? Or is there an underlying calculation to optimism?

I thought about this possible equation for optimism. One way to look at it could be: Adding Positivity with Confidence divided by Experience [O = (P + C) / E]. I tend to view most things through an optimistic lens. My experiences often confirm that a positive feedback loop may lead to success - this is most evident when the situation is dire. I know the value and power of optimism, yet when there is a delicate or challenging situation I face with others, this optimistic viewpoint is often met with criticism or passive resistance. This has perplexed me for years: A glass half full is better than a glass half empty, correct?

A respected colleague and I were approaching an existential problem when he called me “Pollyannaish.” I was comically naïve, as I clearly did not understand the context. Could I be an irrational optimist? Does rational optimism exist? It turns out it does. The Leibnizian view, which has a foundation in theology, views optimism as “The Best of All Possible Worlds,” suggesting that everything is dependent on something for its existence. A more poetic explanation is that something beautiful can have ugliness, or the beauty is hidden. Taking this into account, rational optimism finds the proverbial “glimmering” needle in a haystack, then through the long game, the optimal path is revealed.

Focus on that long game and just pet the sweaty things.