I’ve just come across this article in the magazine associated with BBC News.

It states, quite succinctly, a philosophy I’ve always held, which is that pessimists are far better off than optimists. Two quotes from the article stand out:

“…we are usually cast into gloom not so much by negativity as by hope. It is hope - with regard to our careers, our love lives, our children, our politicians and our planet - that is primarily to blame for angering and embittering us.”

“A pessimistic world view does not have to entail a life stripped of joy. Pessimists can have a far greater capacity for appreciation than their opposite numbers, for they never expect things to turn out well and so may be amazed by the modest successes which occasionally break out across their darkened horizons. ”

I am an enormous cynic. Humanity is capable of a range of actions-both good and bad-and that’s to be expected.

I once worked for a woman who self-identified as being an optimist. I have never met a person more dissatisfied with life. She constantly expected everything to be fantastic and since it almost never is she was upset about it. What bothered me most was that she was in her mid 60s. How does a person live on earth for six decades without realising her optimism is making her miserable.

Whereas, if you expect everything to go horribly, you get to be wrong, but in the best way. And your spirit isn’t crushed when things go badly. So even though the situation is crap, you still get to be right.

And what optimists call pessimism is typically just a reality check.