As someone who also has spent a lot of time 'stuck in his own head' I think my two cents is warranted.

I've definitely had my low points, and shared quite a few of them. I even had the bad sense/taste to be argumentative when people were trying to help.

I'm thankful for the patience of this group. I think that of all of the places for a person with depressive tendencies to wind up, this is a fairly welcoming space. Welcoming in the sense that no one begrudges you for the occasional overly negative post. That said, if I had been continuously combative I doubt I would have continued to find support.

I like to think that this place encourages growth. I am a vastly different person today than the person who wrote

and I am thankful for hubksi's part in helping me get past that point in my life.

The question isn't the motivation though. It's the methods by which these things are discussed. If I want to have that kind of conversation I need to start somewhere other than 'All optimistic people are stupid, fite me.' I need a more nuanced thought process and a mind that is open to be proven wrong, or at least some flexibility in my thinking if it's to be a productive and personable conversation.

We don't have to agree on anything except the mores by which we communicate. Those are essential.