Name/address withheld on request
When it comes to optimism, I am a glass-half-empty person and know why. I now recognise that my mother experienced extreme anxiety, particularly in relation to travel. As a child, holidays and trips would be planned, only to be cancelled at the last moment. I learned to temper my excited anticipation. A desire to avoid those negative feelings led me to develop a pessimistic strategy, which I still use: if I expect the worst, then I am not disappointed if it is so, and I experience a great deal of joy and pleasure if things go to plan. This has served me well. It isn’t clear to me why I would wish to be an optimist (4 January, p 32).
