The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails

A stumbling block to the pessimist is a stepping-stone to the optimist.

No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new doorway for the human spirit.

Both optimists and pessimists contribute to society. The optimist invents the aeroplane, the pessimist the parachute.

I’d rather be a pessimist because then I can only be pleasantly surprised.

I don’t consider myself a pessimist. I think of a pessimist as someone who is waiting for it to rain. And I feel soaked to the skin.