Sustained pessimism can prove to be quite caustic. No one likes to be constantly showered with doom: it is stressful; it's hard on the joints. It is a tough sell in mixed company. But when pessimism is repeatedly born out in observation it becomes repeatedly called for. One must reconsider one's relationship to it: how to be kinder and gentler while embracing something so prickly? How to be realistic and at the same time humane? How to navigate and live well?
