"with a touch of Optimism" How much and of what?

Oh I know what it is. I'm just not sure why it's attractive. I was raised Christian unfortunately.

What is attractive about Stoicism tho? This is the part that baffles me.

Empirically this is just not true.

Thanks, I guess there is some value in asking the question at the same time.

What progress do you speak of? A lot of the progress I see is in the ability to support more and more sentient beings. But I'm not sure if that's justifiably progress for the individual. We're still largely the same animal. Not to mention the horrors of prolonged life. Which if considered to be fun to impose on a person by another person would mean that imposer is a psychopath.

Yes this is pretty strange.

This argument strikes me as at best indentured servitude to a hypothetical or slavery to a hypothetical at worst. Am I off the mark?

"You must exist and suffer because some hypothetical beings might have it better as a result."

Slave owners had it better than their slaves.

"Firstly, most people do seem to value their lives"

One can value one's life and because of that come to the conclusion of antinatalism. "I value my life" does not mean I think life itself is good. It rather puts one in a vise, where you want to preserve your existence aka the thing you value but reality has different plans.