A pessimist sees only the dark side of the clouds, and mopes; a philosopher sees both sides, and shrugs; an optimist doesn't see the clouds at all—he's walking on them.

—Leonard Louis Levinson

optimism pessimism philosophy perspective

More quotations from Leonard Louis Levinson

History is the short trudge from Adam to atom.

—Leonard Louis Levinson

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More quotations tagged with “perspective”

We should remember that it is easy and foolish to sneer at the mistakes or barbarities of remote ages.

—Hermann Hesse

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You need only reflect that one of the best ways to get yourself a reputation as a dangerous citizen these days is to go about repeating the very phrases which our founding fathers used in the struggle for independence.

—Charles Austin Beard

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Nobody outside of a baby carriage or a judge's chamber believes in an unprejudiced point of view.

—Lillian Hellman

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We take a handful of sand from the endless landscape of awareness around us, and call that handful of sand the world.

—Robert Pirsig

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The worm in the radish doesn't think there is anything sweeter.

—Shalom Aleichem

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History

3 Jun 2014 Added
26 Oct 2026 Wording changed

Previous wording

A pessimist sees only the dark side of the clouds, and mopes; a philosopher sees both sides, and shrugs; an optimist doesn't see the clouds at all - he's walking on them.