The optimist already sees the scar over the wound; the pessimist still sees the wound underneath the scar

A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.

The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.

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.