Existential threats are an excellent motivator to progress human knowledge. We have seen the result what happens when such scenarios are dismissed.
I write quite a bit about such things. Yet I find them hopeful. When I think of all those horrible things that could happen I also end up thinking how awesome people can be when presented with such a challenge. There is always hope for us as long as we don't deny those threats.
It would be more frightening if there weren't any next bad thing on the horizon threatening to wipe us out. We can already see the effects of such situations today. When the things are too well people start to look for troubles in all the minor places. Often abandoning the common sense in the process. Those threats become more like a matter of opinion. Stupid things to argue just for the sake of it. Unfortunately such "threats" don't work same way as a motivator as those real threats do.
So the real horror scenario will be when we have everything too well. When there is nothing threatening to wipe us out anymore. That will be the start of human decline.
... how did I end up into such pessimistic conclusion when this was supposed to be an optimistic post?