The argument for pessimism. Or not.

Sometimes you wake up and all you want to do is grunt, roll over and go right back to sleep. Sometimes you're stuck in a jam, but don't take the right lane which seems clear at the moment because with your luck it will probably stop moving 5 seconds after you switch lanes. Sometimes you eschew a new way of working that is potentially better for the tried-but-not-so-true method since the new way will probably backfire anyway, with worse results. Sometimes you see an opening in a chess game that may give you a significant advantage if you take it, but refuse to do so in case the opponent knows something that you don't. And sometimes you don't make the effort to talk to that cute girl reading a book you've read before (and liked very much) in the cafe because she'll probably ignore you or think you're a loony for being so uncouth and brazen.

Being cautious, being negative, refusing to take chances....it keeps me safe from disappointment. It places me in familiar territory. It gives me confidence. It protects my pride. It shields me from potentially hazardous results. And it keeps me wondering, "What if I had just..."...