Humour: In search of balance

I’ve been expressly asked by friends not to give them pep talks when they’re going through a low phase. They begin invariably with some version of the inalienable fact: everything’s meaningless and we’re all going to die, so it doesn’t really matter what you do. Not so comforting, I’ve been told. Give me an unfortunate scenario and the inner nihilist comes gushing out, like deadly smoke from a violent volcano. (See what I did there?) I’m trying to develop a somewhat less apocalyptic bedside manner. But I’m also told my cheerful and optimistic streak can be equally terrifying. This balance business is a tough one.