Joyful Pessimism is the paradoxical practice of maintaining low expectations to minimize disappointment and maximize enjoyment when things inevitably go wrong. And then there is ‘Murphy’s Law’, coined in 1949 by aerospace engineer Edward A. Murphy to emphasize safety and strict preparation. Today it is largely seen as pessimistic or ironic commentary on daily misfortunes. However, it was meant to promote a proactive mindset, encouraging people to prepare for potential problems and build resilience when things inevitably go wrong. Of course, the Hindus chalk it up to good and bad karma depending on how things may go in life. Spinoza was an adamant determinist, and denied the existence of free will, proposing that everything in nature including human action, follows from the eternal laws of God (nature). No doubt, there are a variety of explanations, causes, conditions, and or excuses for why things do not always go the way we prefer. From when I was a child the standard idiom was, “That’s the way the cookie crumbles”, for a disappointing outcome that must be accepted. My favorite has always been the French term, “C’est la vie”, “such is life”…