This look pretty stark and clearly the espousers of this Attribute are not having a great time. But is this the whole story? Is there something beyond this surface pessimism?

This is an Attribute that really only applies to Settlers, who index over 80% higher than the norm for the population, and even then it is fringe for them. Most people reject this set of statements. In fact only 5% of all Pioneers espouse this – and not one of over 400 Transcenders in the British Values Survey agreed this as being “Very Much Like Me”.

The Settlers have a real tendency to be pessimistic about the future which is reflected in this set of statements. They have a real feeling that life may have just “passed them by” and that their “best days are behind them”.

In many instances sociologists and psychologist can find correlations between life expectations and life events to better frame an understanding of this life orientation. Inevitably the explanation is relatively one dimensional and creates robust conversations (and arguments) between people having this point of view and those who don’t. Talk radio is driven by these sorts of debates.

They are angry and potentially raging about small issues, at their own inability to deal with the large and complex issues that typically drive the agendas of many commercial and political organizations. While for other people this could turn to outright violence in some situations these espousers tend to just simmer – thinking about quite antisocial activities - but ultimately they will do very little. They are more likely to have loud opinions in small groups. Talking big and acting small – calling anonymously to a talk radio station may be the biggest thing they ever.

Their insularity and withdrawal from the uncaring world about them means that they not likely to indulge themselves in little treats. Functionality and survival is important to them, not fun.

This is a harsh world that they want to withdraw from - and their fantasies with an undercurrent of anti-social or even violent public acts. More pessimistic than most people, and little drive to change it, life is bleak.

Or is it?

Living in the world of hard edged reality and a feeling that life is pretty rough right now and expecting it to stay the same is depressing. The way the Acquiescence espousers deal with this reality is to fantasize about something different. Their inner life is full of things that “just might happen”, “who’s to say it hasn’t happened already” and “I thought I saw something out the corner of my eye”. This is the home of fantasy that is so strong it takes on a life of its own at times. This is the home of the comic book hero or the tabloid heroine who have just enough elements of normality in them that it just might be possible – and then they perform amazing feats of derring-do, just like the Settlers wish they could do. These espousers are likely to be the type of people who send congratulations or condolences to characters in TV programs like East Enders and Coronation St.

Life is hard in relation to many others, but that is just on the outside. On the inside they have an amazing instinct for survival through high fantasy.