A pessimist is one who makes difficulties of his opportunities and an optimist is one who makes opportunities of his difficulties.

I'm not a pessimist at all, but I'm not an optimist, either.

His (my father's) general belief in life's well-being worked either way. 'Have you ever had it before? You have? It's not going to kill you, then. If you've had the same thing before, you'll be alright in the morning.' My mother couldn't have more profoundly disagreed with that. 'You're such an optimist, dear,' she often said with a sigh. 'You're a good deal of a pessimist, sweetheart.' 'I certainly am.' And yet, I was well aware as I stood between them, he the optimist was the one who was prepared for the worst, and she the pessimist was the daredevil.

I am by nature an optimist and by intellectual conviction a pessimist.

A pessimist? That's a person who has been intimately acquainted with an optimist.

When even one American - who has done nothing wrong - is forced by fear to shut his mind and close his mouth - then all Americans are in peril.