Stop Dissing Pessimism, It’s Part of Being Human

In today’s society, being happy and having an optimistic attitude are social expectations that weigh heavily on how we live and the choices we make. Some psychologists have pointed out how happiness has evolved into an industry. In turn, this has created what I call a happiness imperative, the social expectation that we should all aspire to happiness. But this can be an obstacle to happiness. This is why, as a researcher in philosophical pessimism, I argue that if we actually want to live better lives, pessimism is the philosophical system that can help us achieve it. ….[READ]