(n.) Belief system based on reality.

i guess i have to give this at least a four. I can be a pessimist. Not something I am proud of. I wish I could be more optimistic. but it seems like when I get optimistic, there seems to be bad luck. I suppose I should not see it that way. Maybe because I grew up with a pessimist it just seemed to rub off on me.

I was told that if you expect the worst you can never be dissappointed.

I hate pessimism a lot...but I've been guilty of it.

I can't really think of anything to do to pessimists except beat them up... but I guess that would only add more fuel to their negativity. It's really up to them to change their attitude.

Extremely negative people are almost as annoying as the overly cheerful.They fail to realize that their negative views sabotage a good deal of their chance for happiness.This becomes a vicious cycle.

I also refer to people who practice this as naysayers. They can have an adverse effect on those around them; I try to avoid these people as much as possible.