[Pierre-Marie Baty]

<coder mode>

#ifdef PESSIMISTIC
#undef PESSIMISTIC // <-- bug fix here
#define OPTIMISTIC
#endif
 
void main (int argc, char **argv)
{
long ttl_max = 100;
long ttl;
float trouble = 1;
float self_confidence = 1;
 
// birth
ttl = ttl_max;
 
// while life countdown is not elapsed
while (ttl -= 1)
{
// trouble is affected by self-confidence in all cases
trouble /= self_confidence;
 
#ifdef PESSIMISTIC
// self-confidence goes decreasing with time
self_confidence *= ((float) (ttl_max - ttl) / ttl_max);
#else
// self-confidence increases with time
self_confidence /= ((float) (ttl_max - ttl) / ttl_max);
#endif
 
// self-confidence goes decreasing with trouble, unless already zero
if (self_confidence > trouble)
self_confidence -= trouble;
}
 
// time to live = 0
if (self_confidence - trouble > 0)
die_happy (TRUE);
else
die_happy (FALSE);
	return;
}

As you can see with this little simulation you can reach nirvana by your 52nd year.

</end coder mode>

<mama mode>
... 'want a big cheer from your momma ?
</end mama mode>

<lama mode>

We don't know whether being optimistic in life is a rational choice or not. However, choosing to be pessimistic, IS an irrational choice. Not only it does not solve anything, but it stockpiles additional trouble on top of those we have, and it is by essence a painful thought.

Identically, chosing to feel depressed about things you can't control is irrelevant since there is no choice in these cases, but to integrate these things as facts. As long as you'll be refusing to integrate them in your own system of thought, you will think wrong, you won't understand why, and the bigger your troubles will grow.

Don't forget who you are, and formulate for yourself clearly what you want.

</end lama mode>