> I'm not sure how you'd describe the best mindset here. Pessimistic stoicism? This is the question I asked myself as well. In my own life I've settled on Stoi

> I'm not sure how you'd describe the best mindset here. Pessimistic stoicism? This is the question I asked myself as well. In my own life I've settled on Stoicism as a philosophy of life (though I am far from the ideal sage). I don't think it needs prefixed with "pessimistic" though. I think that, by itself, it's already the middle ground between the two positions. It says that you should only focus on the things that are under your control, but to do so while working for the greater good as well. Fight the dragons, but also fight your own inner battles.