Optimism, Pessimism, or Realism?

I've been Dark Reality for over 21 years now. The name is obviously pessimistic, but the story is far more interesting. Basically, I wanted a pen name, as an aspiring writer (author Dean Koontz has several), and I thought, why use the name of a person? Koontz used a woman's name on more than one occasion. But I wanted more than a name—I wanted something that sounded like a rock band, because I wanted to write cool shit. And though I've since had movies, a band, and songs named after me (or rather, my web handle/screen name), I haven't got a thing to do with any of them. Anyway, since getting married over 7 years ago, I've learned to look on the bright side. In the past week, I've been spouting some downright philosophical shit, so rather than simply put them on Facebook to sink into the ether of the unknown, I figured I'd publish some of it up here.

Now this next bit, for some context, someone on Google+ was asking why, after centuries of evolution and advances in both science and enlightenment, people are still dicks to each other. (The word used was actually 'insensitive.')

The following is my response. I haven't changed it, but I did add some formatting:We are moving forward. It's a slow process because rich old white men are in power and they fear change. But we are moving forward in spite of them.

We have electric vehicles and hybrids already reducing some of our dependance on foreign oil (but unfortunately not on coal). We have marriage equality in a full third of states in the US and many major countries. In two states, you can no longer be jailed for smoking a natural and healthy alternative to tobacco (which is mostly illegal because of Big Tobacco lobbying). As an asthmatic I'm not keen on smoking anything, but as dangerous as the two ingestive vices are (smoking and drinking) it's pretty terrible that the safe alternative is illegal... but it won't be for much longer).

More people than ever realize God, like Santa Claus, is a helpful fable told to children to keep them in line, although some people continue to wrap themselves in faith like a security blanket. People realize the Earth revolves around the sun and not vice-versa, and we have access to all the world's information via devices the size of a cassette tape... yet we use them to look at cat pictures, because they make us happy.

We're so close to curing AIDS and cancer, and while other diseases may present themselves later, we will know that they will eventually be cured. It's only a matter of time. We've put men on the moon and an unmanned rover on Mars. We've discovered half a dozen planets that can support and sustain human life. They would take several lifetimes to reach now, but we could make a breakthrough in space propulsion any time that could get us there sooner. And once people realize that this one planet is not all we are and not all we can be, attitudes will shift for the better.

There will always be bad people who seek to divide, oppress, or outright harm or kill us. There's no getting around it. But they don't define us as a people. And they never have.

So who does define us? You do, and the people you surround yourself with. People who say "People suck" are people who choose to spend time with negative people. Because sure, some people do suck. Don't make them your focus. Focus on your family, on work, on people you can help and people who can help you. But don't use people or let people use you, because that isn't positive, either.

Negativity is a hard thing to get rid of. There are so many people who wallow in it, it's hard not to follow their example. But it's pretty damn easy to smile, too. Life goes up and life goes down, but more than either, life goes on. So if things are looking down, just hang in there, because your turn will come—just enjoy it when it does, because just like high times follow low ones, low times follow high ones as well. We just gotta stick 'em out and enjoy the ride.

Now, here's a cool song for you (and if you're American, one you probably haven't heard before): The Captain (Biffy Clyro)