Our society values blind optimism.

[Thumpalumpacus]

My life has meaning, meaning that I supply to it.

You impact the world around you, want to or not.

Indeed. In understanding that fact, we can design our interactions in order to contribute to the betterment of others.

Oddly enough, that's also one of the things that helps me supply meaning to my life: the principle of leaving the world a better place than I found it.

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Surely conservatism must open as many opportunities as optimism.

That doesn't seem obvious to me. Wouldn't a conservative lifestyle expose one less to the vicissitudes of life?

The guy who says, "Y'know, I'm going to go downtown tonight to meet someone" has a much better chance of meeting someone than the guy who stays at home, right?

Now, staying at home on an icy evening might well keep you alive, too.

I suppose it's all what we define as opportunity.