Pessimism promotes depression. Pessimism produces inertia rather than activity in the face of setbacks. Pessimism feels bad subjectively—blue, down, worried, anxious. Pessimism is self-fulfilling. Pessimists don’t persist in the face of challenges, and therefore fail more frequently—even when success is attainable. Pessimism is associated with poor physical health (see chapter ten). Pessimists are defeated when they try for high office (see chapter eleven). Even when pessimists are right and things turn out badly, they still feel worse. Their explanatory style now converts the predicted
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