I have an extremely positive outlook on my own life, some incredible aspects in the present and prospects for the future; I attribute that to careful planning, not buying into the nutbaggery so many do, and to having an understanding of how bad things are and will get; so yeah, a positive outlook. But, for the plant and most of the people in it, not so positive because few people take their futures into their own hands preferring to float along pulled and pushed at the whim of others and the seem to like it.
I'm not surprised you've pulled back, keep to yourself and your own group, I think that's smart...while maintaining an awareness of how things change and where they're going at the same time.