Between the optimist and the pessimist, the difference is droll. The optimist sees the doughnut; the pessimist the hole!
Like I always say, can’t find a door? Make your own.
Lady, people aren't chocolates. D'you know what they are mostly? Bastards. Bastard-coated bastards with bastard filling. But I don't find them half as annoying as I find naive bobble-headed optimists... who walk around vomiting sunshine.
A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.
Both optimists and pessimists contribute to society. The optimist invents the aeroplane, the pessimist the parachute.
The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all possible worlds; and the pessimist fears this is true. So I elect for neither label.
It's always darkest before the dawn.
The reason we all like to think so well of others is that we are all afraid for ourselves. The basis of optimism is sheer terror. We think that we are generous because we credit our neighbour with the possession of those virtues that are likely to be a benefit to us. We praise the banker that we may overdraw our account, and find good qualities in the highwayman in the hope that he may spare our pockets.
<...> and her husband, a red-cheeked, white-whiskered creature who, like so many of his class, was under the impression that inordinate joviality can atone for an entire lack of ideas.
— You know. And the game is to find something to be glad about in everything.
— How can you be glad about getting crutches if you wanted a doll?
— Aha! You're glad because you don't need them.
— Blood's dripping on your dress.
— It does not matter. As long as I keep on smiling...