answersLogoWhite

0

Let's see his wife died, his kids died, he lost all his money in bad investments, he couldn't keep his home. Golly, that could sour you a bit.

Then again he was a curmudgeon and a student of humanity and could see the stupidity and cruelty of people to other people based on religion, politics, ethnicity and greed. Slavery, sickness and death with a stiff dose of superstition were a daily observation. Again a clue.

He did live through the American Civil war with years of brothers killing brothers for no good reason and the saw the problems developing in Europe that would lead to the First World War.

All in all "Pessimism" doesn't half cover it.

User Avatar

Wiki User

16y ago

What else can I help you with?