In message , Kay
writes
Yeah, but look at it this way - the pessimist is at worst proved right, but
in the normal run of things can only ever be pleasantly surprised!

I have noticed that the pessimists of my acquaintance are generally
miserable whereas the optimists seem to lead much happier lives.

Having been both, I can vouch for this. After a lifetime of optimism, I
suddenly turned pessimist roughly with the millennium. Is this an age
thing?
The REALLY depressing part is that my friends tell me I'm not a
pessimist, only being realistic at long last!

--
Klara, Gatwick basin