while I appreciate your effort, I do in fact remember a time when I was more naive and positive (~5+ years ago), and I also remember people being just as awful to me and to each other at that time, too; the only real difference being that I was frequently awful right back -- I just haven't got the energy for that anymore. If your point is that my attitude colors or affects my reality, that doesn't really hold water for me. the world around me hasn't changed that drastically in that time (if anything it's gotten slightly worse), I've just become more perceptive of it. And while sticking my head in the sand and pretending the world is a fine place full of fine people does sound like a wonderful delusion to entertain, it is just that. A delusion. While there are certainly some fine people in it, the vast majority of people are anywhere from unaware or indifferent, to actively making the world a worse place.