I'm a defensive Pessimist, not fatalistic optimist
 

The theory of defensive pessimism suggests that imagining—and planning for—worst-case scenarios can be more effective than trying to think positively.

This is so me.

I'm a cynical defensive pessimist--in the same way that washing your car "makes" it rain, I believe that preparing for the worst is how I ensure it won't happen, because that means I will have wasted all that work. And since I know beforehand that doing the work is going to guarantee me a good outcome, I feel optimistic.

The glass is
a) half full
b) half empty
c) twice as big as it needs to be
d) going to have to be washed. By me. Again.

An optimist thinks this is the best of all possible worlds and a pessimist thinks the optimist is right.


But in regards to your original point, that's how I always think and live. Any design or system that relies on things not going awry is by nature a poor design. Always assume the bottle will leak in your back pack and pack your camera accordingly, it's foolish to rely on things not going wrong in order for your plan to work.

You should see me pack for a trip.

c) twice as big as it needs to be -- said the Engineer

Ahhh... FAWET. *sigh*

They say that there are only two kinds of travelers, those who pack light and those who wish they had.

I've found that two old sayings, when used in combination, keep things fairly well balanced:

Hope for the best and plan for the worst; also, Be concerned; but, don't worry.