I think you've hit the nail on the head there though. An alternative life would be a consideration if it didn't require so much effort and then, constant maintenance but- life (in my experience) isn't like that for the majority of us. We have to work extremely hard for what we get and even then, there's the high possibility of failure and/or loss. So, 'life' given it's current parameters just seems too difficult, too precarious and too much effort for too little reward for my liking.
To not feel like that, I'd need to be an entirely different person. I guess sometimes I do feel curious as to what it would feel like to be an optimist, a genius, someone very talented or attractive or wealthy but then- it doesn't appeal enough to risk a whole lifetime of it! Death seems cleaner!