It all boils down to what you find hardest to believe. If we look for hard evidence, which I do, then it gets at least a little bit easier:

• 200 billion stars in the galaxy and planet formation quite common:
  – I find it hard to believe we are alone.
• Millions of people on this planet scrutinizing the skies for centuries and no hard evidence for robots (and I agree, it only takes one such civilization!):
  – I find it hard to believe they are already here.
• 11 stars within a 10 lightyear radius (116 within 20) make a very poor selection:
  – I find it hard to believe they are anywhere near us.

• I find it easy to believe they are rare.
• I find it easy to believe they are not longlived enough, as individuals OR species.
• I find it easy to believe the void of spacetime is much too large to be overcome.
• I find it easy to believe there is a science fiction buff in most of us, wishing it were otherwise.