Quote by Thomas Hardy: “Pessimism is, in brief, playing the sure game. You cannot lose at it; you may gain.”

Hardy explains his own pessimistic outlook as a pragmatic strategy. By expecting the worst, one avoids disappointment and can only be pleasantly surprised, never truly losing in the game of life's expectations.

Hardy often faced criticism for the bleakness of his novels and poetry. In this preface, he defended his philosophical stance, asserting its logical and psychological advantages.

English novelist and poet whose work portrayed the harsh realities of rural Victorian life with unflinching honesty. His major novels include Tess of the d'Urbervilles and Far from the Madding Crowd, and his poetry is noted for its bleak tenderness.