“Optimistic,” the sixth song on the album, got more radio play than just about every other track. It seems to feature two potential reactions to the desolation of a consumerist marketplace. The first verse describes a greedy and exploitative attitude, while the “optimistic” second verse mentions how “the system” works.

The chorus, though, contains the wisdom or message of the song, which is that the realization of one’s deontological limits (what one can actually do) CAN lead to a kind of satisfaction, though perhaps not a cheerful one.