"There is always too much information; the problem is knowing what to believe." - Quote from a spy novel I read a long time ago; I may have butchered the quote a bit.
Anyway, the point is, there is data out there that leads to pessimism. Absolutely. There's plenty of it. There is grounds for pessimism.
But there is also data that leads to optimism. There's plenty of it, too. So you choose your belief by choosing which set of data to pay more attention to. (Except it's not that simple. You're choosing which set of data you think is more credible, or more relevant, or more important, or reflects a more accurate picture of the situation. But there still is an element of choice - you choose which data set to pay more attention to, and that data set usually winds up being the one you consider more valid.)
Anyway, the point is, there is data out there that leads to pessimism. Absolutely. There's plenty of it. There is grounds for pessimism.
But there is also data that leads to optimism. There's plenty of it, too. So you choose your belief by choosing which set of data to pay more attention to. (Except it's not that simple. You're choosing which set of data you think is more credible, or more relevant, or more important, or reflects a more accurate picture of the situation. But there still is an element of choice - you choose which data set to pay more attention to, and that data set usually winds up being the one you consider more valid.)