“I’d rather be a pessimist because then I can only be pleasantly surprised.”
Truthfully, I have always expected the worst out of life. That expectation has never let me down. In fact, it has made me a much happier person. “How is that possible, you dim-witted dolt?” you ask. Well, just as Franklin said it. I am never taken unpleasantly by surprised. In 1983 when I was diagnosed with malignant melanoma, skin cancer, I prepared myself to die at 27. But I was pleasantly surprised. I not only survived, but it was completely eradicated by surgery. No chemo-therapy. No recurrence. No more cancer worries (beyond assuming each and every mole I had removed after that point in my life was melanoma revisited). I can now celebrate 32 years of being cancer free.
Watching politics as a humorous hobby benefits greatly from a pessimistic outlook. I just assume that Donald Trump or Ted Cruz will win the Presidency in 2016, and I am preparing for that dismal dip into depressing gloom. If Rodeo Clown Bush the Sequel gets elected, or Scott Walker gets the nod, the more likely scenarios, I will be pleasantly relieved and surprised, even though I will still be expecting the ultimate heat-death of the planet to come from those administrations. If Marco Rubio gets the nod, better still. He’s kinda young and stupid, but he’s demonstrated that he does care at least a little bit about the common man, and he doesn’t really want us all to die. He’s even demonstrated the ability to learn from mistakes. And if a Democrat wins, especially Bernie Sanders, that will be a repeat of the marvelous surprise we all got in 2008 from the election of Professor Obama, man of the people. I will be preparing for the world to end after this next election, but there is actually a higher percentage chance of survival and limited suffering. After all, people, even the mega-polluters in China and India. have recognized the need to try to repair the planet.
I was honestly, as a pessimist, expecting to be dead before the new school year started in 2015. So I was pleasantly surprised to be able to start a new collection of morning-dog-walk sunrise pictures. I am prepared and at peace with the world because I always expect the worst to be happening. Looking at everything from the dark side is ironically the way to find the light and hope in the new day dawning directly ahead.
Catch a Falling Star 
Things can only look up. You have had some heavy doses of realism thrown at you, so you are entitled to a less than a rosy view.
I like to think that all the hard things that have happened to me in life have been to strengthen my resolve and deepen my wisdom and make life even more worth living and savoring. 🙂
Amen brother. Sounds like the old adage is true. What does not kill you…..
I had the same result this past November with lung cancer. I also predicted I had lupus before the doctors could diagnose it. I also agree I think the world is going to come to an end after this election because I can’t see any good coming from any of the candidates except as you say Bernie Sanders or Biden only they are both men of later years and whoever they pick as their running mate may have to take over.
Well, we are prepared. So only good things take us by surprise.