Pessimist Sayings and Quotes

Below you will find our collection of inspirational, wise, and humorous old pessimist quotes, pessimist sayings, and pessimist proverbs, collected over the years from a variety of sources.

For an optimist life is beautiful, for a pessimist life is beautiful for the fool. Debasish Mridha
A pessimist is a man who thinks all women are bad. An optimist is one who hopes they are. Chauncey Depew
Pessimism negates the existing world. Yet its negating is ambiguous. It can simply will decay and nothingness, but it can also renounce what exists and thus open a path for a new formation of the world. Martin Heidegger
Pessimist: One who, when he has the choice of two evils, chooses both. Oscar Wilde
The pessimist is the man who believes things couldn't possibly be worse, to which the optimist replies: Oh yes they could! Vladimir Bukovsky
There are moments when everything goes well; don't be frightened, it won't last. Jules Renard
The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails. William Arthur Ward
An optimist expects his dreams to come true; a pessimist expects his nightmares to. Laurence J Peter
Pessimists try to convince you the world sucks, optimists already know it does and smile anyway. Jonathan Harnisch
Better to be an optimist who gets disappointed than a pessimist who has no hope. Robin Sharma
An optimist is a person who sees a green light everywhere, while a pessimist sees only the red stoplight... the truly wise person is colorblind. Albert Schweitzer
I'm a pessimist because of intelligence, but an optimist because of will. Antonio Gramsci
Pessimism, when you get used to it, is just as agreeable as optimism. Indeed, I think it must be more agreeable, must have a more real savor, than optimism--from the way in which pessimists abandon themselves to it. Arnold Bennett
We are accused of pessimism, as though pessimism were but one among a number of possible attitudes, as if man were capable of choosing between two alternatives. Arthur Adamove
Pessimism is carefully cultivated in some intellectual circles, as if it were a precious plant that the human race could not afford to lose. Arthur Lynch
If you think a thing is impossible, you'll make it impossible. Pessimism blunts the tools you need to succeed. Bruce Lee
Pessimism and optimism are slammed up against each other in my records, the tension between them is where it's all at, it's what lights the fire. Bruce Springsteen
A pessimist is a person who has had to listen to too many optimists. Don Marquis
A pessimist is simply an optimist in full possession of the facts. Edward Abbey
Pessimism only describes an attitude, and not facts, and hence is entirely subjective. Francis Parker Yockey
The nice part about being a pessimist is that you are constantly being either proven right or pleasantly surprised. George Will
Optimists think that this is the best of all possible worlds; pessimists fear they are right. J. Robert Oppenheimer
The optimist thinks this is the best of all possible worlds. The pessimist fears it is true. J. Robert Oppenheimer
Nothing of any importance has ever been accomplished by a pessimist. Jack Welch
A pessimist and an optimist, so much the worse; so much the better. Jean de la Fontaine
The bottom line on attitude is that a good one helps to increase your possibilities. Pessimists usually get what they expect. So do optimists. John C. Maxwell
The good part about being a pessimist is, when something bad happens, you're never really devastated by it. And when something good happens, it's such a bonus. John Rzeznik
Optimism is joyful searching; pessimism is a prison of fear and a clutching at illusionary safety. Kathleen A. Brehony
The optimist sees the rose and not its thorns the pessimist stares at the thorns, oblivious to the rose. Khalil Gibran
Better to assume the worst and be wrong than assume the best and be wrong. Pessimism will keep you alive, optimism won't. Laurell K. Hamilton