A collection (with brief introductory remarks) of writings by pessimists and pessimist sympathizers... Pratt, Battaille, Zapfe, Noyes, Cioran, Leopardi, Popa, and Flueres explore the ramifications of, if not believing that things will get worse, then at least certainly not believing that things will get better. (Remember Virginia, pessimism is not the same thing as depression.)
The power of laughter is terrible and awful: anyone who has the courage to laugh is master over others, in the same way as anyone who has the courage to die.