“…in general, the traditionalists are backward-looking, conservative; pessimists about the future and optimists about the past.”

Often quoted as "Traditionalists are pessimists about the future and optimists about the past.", e.g, Peter's Quotations : Ideas for Our Time (1979) by Laurence J. Peter, p. 112.
Faith for Living (1940)

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update June 3, 2021. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "…in general, the traditionalists are backward-looking, conservative; pessimists about the future and optimists about th…" by Lewis Mumford?
Lewis Mumford photo
Lewis Mumford 75
American historian, sociologist, philosopher of technology,… 1895–1990

Related quotes

Fali Sam Nariman photo
Lewis Mumford photo

“I'm a pessimist about probabilities, I'm an optimist about possibilities.”

Lewis Mumford (1895–1990) American historian, sociologist, philosopher of technology, and literary critic

As quoted in "Lewis Mumford Remembers" by Carey Winfrey in The New York Times (6 July 1977)

David H. Levy photo

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

David H. Levy (1948) Canadian astronomer

Humor in Psychotherapy (2007)

Gough Whitlam photo

“A conservative government survives essentially by dampening expectations and subduing hopes. Conservatism is basically pessimistic, reformism is basically optimistic.”

Gough Whitlam (1916–2014) Australian politician, 21st Prime Minister of Australia

Self-quoted in The Whitlam Government 1972–1975 by Gough Whitlam

Jomo Kenyatta photo

“I have no intention of retaliating or looking backwards. We are going to forget the past and look forward to the future.”

Jomo Kenyatta (1893–1978) First prime minister and first president of Kenya

(1964) Post-election statement. Virginia Morell, Ancestral Passions: The leakey Family and the Quest for Humankind's Beginnings, Copyright 1995, Chapter 19, beginning.

George Bernard Shaw photo

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

George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950) Irish playwright

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

Oscar Wilde photo

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

Gladys Bronwyn Stern (1890–1973) British writer

Quoted in Women Know Everything!: 3,241 Quips, Quotes, and Brilliant Remarks By Karen Weekes, p. 41

Jonathan Safran Foer photo

Related topics