You have been warned. Let's start out simply. Boys and girls, not only is the glass half empty, but it's a cracked, dirty glass you bought at a garage sale for about 25 cents. First of all, there is a difference between being a pessimist and a cynic. I happen to be both, but I still make a distinction between the two.
Pessimism has the potential to be all-encompassing.
At its worst, it leaves you on the verge of despair on a daily basis. At its best, it prepares you for what usually happens, i.e., life. Some people take pessimism to its extremes, always expecting the worst and never entertaining the possibility that things may work out . Basically, I would rather prepare myself for the worst and be pleasantly surprised when good things happen than the other way around. I don't want to be Bambi frolicking in the forest all day only to return to find my mother shot by hunters.