The spiteful optimist knows that the world is burning around them. They aren’t ignorant to the threats, the terrors and the monsters that lurk in the darkness. They don’t necessarily believe that things will be okay; maybe they really will get worse before they get better. But they know that being sad, hurt, afraid and compliant is exactly what they want. They know that allowing themselves to be defeated by the circumstances means that they have won. And in spite of oppression, we choose to find ways to be happy despite circumstances.

In a world that insists that you shouldn’t or can’t be happy, we must find ways to rebelliously experience fun, joy and passion.

So are we doomed? Maybe.

But there is some part of us that enjoys the challenge of proving someone wrong. The spiteful optimist finds ways of enjoying life and experiencing and sharing joy as a form of rebellion and resistance.

— Julian Frasier. Post on Medium.