“Both optimists and pessimists contribute to society. The optimist invents the aeroplane, the pessimist the parachute.”

“To the optimist, pessimists are neurotic; to the pessimist, optimists are deluded.”

David H. Levy (1948) Canadian astronomer

“Between the optimist and the pessimist, the difference is droll. The optimist sees the doughnut; the pessimist the hole! ”

Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) Irish writer and poet

“To the question whether I am a pessimist or an optimist, I answer that my knowledge is pessimistic, but my willing and hoping are optimistic.”

Albert Schweitzer (1875–1965) French-German physician, theologian, musician and philosopher

“Don't ever become a pessimist, Ira; a pessimist is correct oftener than an optimist, but an optimist has more fun--and neither can stop the march of events.”

Robert A. Heinlein (1907–1988) American science fiction author

“I tried to think about other things. I tried to invent optimistic inventions. But the pessimistic ones were extremely loud.”

Jonathan Safran Foer book Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

“The optimist sees the donut, the pessimist sees the hole.”

Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) Irish writer and poet

“A stumbling block to the pessimist is a stepping-stone to the optimist.”

Eleanor Roosevelt (1884–1962) American politician, diplomat, and activist, and First Lady of the United States

“I’m a pessimist because of intelligence, but an optimist because of will.”

Antonio Gramsci (1891–1937) Italian writer, politician, theorist, sociologist and linguist

“Sometimes a pessimist is only an optimist with extra information.”

Idries Shah book Reflections