It’s never as bad as the pessimists think it’s going to be

That depends on the timescale you are considering. Most of the people who would tell you otherwise because they were suffering in WW2 are dead by now. If you have spent your entire life in a comparatively stable and safe environment (like I did), you might assume that things can’t get that bad.

I think an assumption like that is dangerous, because it gives you a false sense of security