"Frame persistence as obligation, not optimism Asked where he finds strength to keep pursuing seemingly impossible goals, Musk rejected the entire framing: 'that's really not how I think about things.' His actual motivational structure is simpler — 'this is something that is important to get done and we should just keep doing it or die trying.' He added: 'I don't care about optimism or pessimism, fuck that, we're going to get it done.' For anyone stalled by doubt or waiting to feel confident before continuing, this reframes persistence not as a feeling to cultivate but as a logical commitment to something that matters. Source: Elon Musk, Lex Fridman Podcast, Elon Musk"