(((Anika))) Thanks for elaborating - so sorry to hear of your traumatic past.

To clarify, I don't think you are a black & white thinker in general (that's the last thing you are). I was just worried that maybe you were becoming too polarised on this particular topic. I realise that was the whole point of your post in the first place

The only problem I see with rosy masks is what happens when murky reality does intrude? Are we prepared enough for that? Or is it a jolt?

Having said that, yes I suppose that everyone looks at the world through their own particular mask - who cares if yours is rosy. As you say, it could be worse