On Optimism

In the long run, the pessimist may be proved to be right, but the optimist has a better time on the trip - Daniel L. Reardon
Prima facie, this "feels" true. However, the BBC's panel show, It's Only a Theory, featured psychotherapist Lucy Beresford who argued that there is a modern epidemic characterised by the "pursuit of happiness" (often fed by pills), and that sadness is actually a normal part of human life which we should embrace rather than shut out.