> Cynical take - if you know you're lying, that's not optimism, that's cynical manipulation.

Cynicaler take: That's how some companies fill their management with people who don't know when they're lying.

A person who knows how much 5m of steel expands with a 30°C temperature swing has to say "No" to the boss. A person who doesn't know that, but does know the production line uses a $250,000 Leica laser tracker thingummy that's real accurate can say "Yes Sir" and find themselves in charge of a funded project.