Quotes About Pessimism

When anybody goes to L.A. from London, there's always this slight sense of, 'What are you doing? Who do you think you are? It's never gonna happen.' It's the classic, good-natured British cynicism.

I am incrementally a pessimist, but I see the international debate that Edward Snowden has engendered, and I think this is exactly where the discussion should be. So, I would say I'm more optimistic than pessimistic.

So many people accept the negative. They are constantly blinded by that negative thing.

I have a hunch that our obsession with photography arises from an unspoken pessimism; it is our nature to believe the good things will not last. . . But photos provide a false sense of security> like our flawed memory, they are guaranteed to fade. . . . We take photographs in order to remember, but it is in the nature of a photograph to forget (pg 157)

I don't like people. I don't like any kind of people. When you get them together in a big lump they all get nasty and dirty and full of trouble. So I don't like people including you. That's what a misanthropist is.

Optimism is the opium of the people.

An optimist is someone who thinks that on planet number five the history of mankind will be less bloody. A pessimist is one who thinks otherwise.

I have become so pessimistic that these days I'd even choose the truth over friendship.

Cynicism places the cynic at the center seat of judgement with the self appointed authority to criticize and condemn.

it did not occur to me, ever, that people were good or that a man was capable of change or that the world could be a better place through one's taking pleasure in a feeling or a look or a gesture, of receiving another person's love or kindness. Nothing was affirmative, the term "generosity of spirit" applied to nothing, was a cliché, was some kind of bad joke.

it did not occur to me, ever, that people were good or that a man was capable of change or that the world could be a better place through one's taking pleasure in a feeling or a look or a gesture, of receiving another person's love or kindness... God is not alive. Love cannot be trusted.

Mises's conclusion: "Whosoever foresees so clearly before the age of forty the disaster and the destruction of everything he deems of value, cannot escape pessimism and psychic depression.

Sometimes it's best to expect the worst. That way you're never disappointed.

In fact, the most profitable investments you will ever make are precisely at the times when pessimism is the most rampant.

Just as contagious euphoria leads investors to take greater and greater risks, the same self-destructive behavior leads many investors to throw in the towel and sell out near the market's bottom when pessimism is rampant and seems most convincing. One of the most important lessons you can learn about investing is to avoid following the herd and getting caught up in market-based overconfidence or discouragement. Beware of "Mr. Market.

Indeed, when pessimism is rampant and market prices are down is the worst time to sell out or to stop making regular investment contributions. The time to buy is when stocks are on sale.

If there was anything that depressed him more than his own cynicism, it was that quite often it still wasn't as cynical as real life.

Om began to feel the acute depression that steals over every realist in the presence of an optimist.

We're just kind of dark as humans, generally.

You can't help yourself, can you? You think the only thing to do with a parade is rain on it. Some people know to enjoy the parade because, dude, the rain always comes back.

I'm always thinking things are as bad as they can get and they get worse.

The devil is an optimist if he thinks he can make people worse than they are.

The devil is an optimist if he thinks he can make people meaner.

Der Teufel ist ein Optimist, wenn er meint er könnte den Menschen schlechter machen.