H=R/E.
Happiness equals Reality divided by Expectation;
based on the universal truth that you always had expectation for what was to come. In other words, E was always a real number, since you could not divide by zero. Everyone knew that if you divided reality by expectation, you got a happiness quotient. But when you inverted the equation - expectation divided by reality; you didn’t get the opposite of happiness. What you got, was hope.
Pure logic: Assuming reality was constant, expectation had to be greater than reality to create optimism. On the other hand, a pessimist was someone with expectations lower than reality, a fraction of diminishing returns.The human condition meant that this number approached zero without reaching it - you never really completely gave up hope; it might come flooding back at any provocation.
