As a kid I was short and only weighed 95 pounds. And though I was active in a lot of Sports and got along with most of the guys I think I used comedy as a defense mechanism. You know making someone laugh is a much better way to solve a problem than by using your fists.
Optimism is not inherently a superior way of viewing the world. Certainly doctors will say it might be better for one's physical health to be an optimist. But morally speaking it may not be appropriate in certain circumstances.
