--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Finally, the optimist’s impatience with…" description: "\"“Finally, the optimist’s impatience with or condemnation of pessimism often has a smug macho tone to it (although males have no monopoly of it). There ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee6/david-benatar-19400_bright-side_finally-the-optimist-s-impatience-with-o_1657356.jpg" --- # Finally, the optimist’s impatience with or condemnation of… ![“Finally, the optimist’s impatience with or condemnation of pessimism often has a smug macho tone to it (although males have no monopoly of it). There is a scorn for the perceived weakness of the pessimist who should instead ‘grin and bear it’. This view is defective for the same reason that macho…” quote by David Benatar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee6/david-benatar-19400_bright-side_finally-the-optimist-s-impatience-with-o_1657356.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee6/david-benatar-19400_bright-side_finally-the-optimist-s-impatience-with-o_1657356.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee6/david-benatar-19400_bright-side_finally-the-optimist-s-impatience-with-o_1657356.jpg) > ““Finally, the optimist’s impatience with or condemnation of pessimism often has a smug macho tone to it (although males have no monopoly of it). There is a scorn for the perceived weakness of the pessimist who should instead ‘grin and bear it’. This view is defective for the same reason that macho views about other kinds of suffering are defective. It is an indifference to or inappropriate denial of suffering, whether one’s own or that of others. The injunction to ‘look on the bright side’ should be greeted with a large dose of both scepticism and cynicism. To insist that the bright side is always the right side is to put ideology before the evidence. Every cloud, to change metaphors, may have a silver lining, but it may very often be the cloud rather than the lining on which one should focus if one is to avoid being drenched by self-deception. Cheery optimists have a much less realistic view of themselves than do those who are depressed.”” [David Benatar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-benatar/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Optimism can become dismissive, ignoring real suffering and fostering self‑deception; a balanced view requires skepticism. **In simple terms:** Optimism may blind us to real pain. Key Takeaway Question optimism with healthy doubt. Themes optimism skepticism psychology self‑deception ideology Mood reflective critical thoughtful Type philosophical analytical When to use this quote - mental health counseling - personal reflection - support groups - media analysis - educational workshops Key Concepts cognitive bias emotional resilience philosophical critique Questions to Reflect On - How does optimism affect mental health? - When is skepticism beneficial? A Different Perspective Over‑skepticism can lead to cynicism and hopelessness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bright side](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bright-side/) [Optimists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/optimists/) [Pessimism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pessimism/) [Silver Lining](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silver-lining/) ## Related quotes > [“I am a sanguinely optimistic person, I see the bright side, the silver lining, a half-full glass. Hence, my day is always sunny even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-v-angeles/i-am-a-sanguinely-optimistic-person-i-see-the-bright-side-the-silver/) Joseph V. Angeles > [“Well, let’s look on the bright side,” I said, deciding he needed a distraction. “Don’t.” “The good news is that we’ll probably be either…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-wylde/well-let-s-look-on-the-bright-side-i-said-deciding-he-needed-a/) [Joanna Wylde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-wylde/) > [“Cynicism creates a numbness toward life. Cynicism begins with a wry assurance that everyone has an angle. Behind every silver lining is a cloud.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-e-miller/cynicism-creates-a-numbness-toward-life-cynicism-begins-with-a-wry/) [Paul E. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-e-miller/) > [Pessimists are usually right and optimists are usually wrong but all the great changes have been accomplished by optimists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-friedman/pessimists-are-usually-right-and-optimists-are-usually-wrong-but-all/) [Thomas Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-friedman/) > [“Optimists see the glass as half full. Pessimists see the glass as half empty. Experiential trainers see the whole glass and its context.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bogdan-vaida/optimists-see-the-glass-as-half-full-pessimists-see-the-glass-as-half/) [Bogdan Vaida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bogdan-vaida/) > [...the incontestable truth is that America has been built up by optimists, not by pessimists, but by men possessing courage, confidence in the nation's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-c-forbes/the-incontestable-truth-is-that-america-has-been-built-up-by/) [B. C. Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-c-forbes/) > [Pessimists fear becoming the dupes of Hope. Optimists enjoy Hope's company, and consider being duped no great matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/pessimists-fear-becoming-the-dupes-of-hope-optimists-enjoy-hope-s/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [But black folks have never really been optimists. We've been prisoners of hope, and hope is qualitatively different from optimism in the way that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/but-black-folks-have-never-really-been-optimists-we-ve-been-prisoners/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [In this world, the optimists have it, not because they are always right, but because they are positive. Even when they are wrong they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-landes/in-this-world-the-optimists-have-it-not-because-they-are-always-right/) [David Landes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-landes/) > [There would be a lot more optimists if it weren't for the rise-and-shine requierement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/there-would-be-a-lot-more-optimists-if-it-weren-t-for-the-rise-and/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [The bottom line on attitude is that a good one helps to increase your possibilities. Pessimists usually get what they expect. So do optimists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/the-bottom-line-on-attitude-is-that-a-good-one-helps-to-increase-your/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) > [“There are a good many people always buoyant in spirit and mirthful in appearance as if born optimists. There are also no fewer persons…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaiten-nukariya/there-are-a-good-many-people-always-buoyant-in-spirit-and-mirthful-in/) [Kaiten Nukariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaiten-nukariya/) > [Both my wife and I are optimists and we look at the positives in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-fogle/both-my-wife-and-i-are-optimists-and-we-look-at-the-positives-in-life/) [Ben Fogle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-fogle/) > [“How little one is justified in speaking in this connection of "optimism" and "pessimism" and how much the characterization of liberalism as "optimistic" aims…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/how-little-one-is-justified-in-speaking-in-this-connection-of/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [“History has a cruel way of disappointing optimists.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-thompson/history-has-a-cruel-way-of-disappointing-optimists/) Keith Thompson ## More by David Benatar > [“There’s such a thing as chronic pain, but there’s no such thing as chronic pleasure. ... For an existing person, the presence of bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-benatar/there-s-such-a-thing-as-chronic-pain-but-there-s-no-such-thing-as/) [David Benatar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-benatar/) > [Creating new people, by having babies, is so much a part of human life that it is rarely thought even to require a justification.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-benatar/creating-new-people-by-having-babies-is-so-much-a-part-of-human-life/) [David Benatar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-benatar/) > [“There is one kind of exception: those who believe that the world is too horrible a place into which to bring children. Such people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-benatar/there-is-one-kind-of-exception-those-who-believe-that-the-world-is/) [David Benatar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-benatar/) > [“For instance, since none of us lives until age 240, people tend not to think that failing to reach that age makes one’s life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-benatar/for-instance-since-none-of-us-lives-until-age-240-people-tend-not-to/) [David Benatar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-benatar/) > [On my view there is no net benefit to coming into existence and thus coming into existence is never worth its costs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-benatar/on-my-view-there-is-no-net-benefit-to-coming-into-existence-and-thus/) [David Benatar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-benatar/) > [Coming into existence is always bad for those who come into existence. In other words, although we may not be able to say of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-benatar/coming-into-existence-is-always-bad-for-those-who-come-into-existence/) [David Benatar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-benatar/) > [“There is a further (non-distributional) consideration that can affect an assessment of a life’s quality. Arguably, once a life reaches a certain threshold of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-benatar/there-is-a-further-non-distributional-consideration-that-can-affect/) [David Benatar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-benatar/) > [I am under no illusions. My position, no matter how clearly stated, is likely to be misunderstood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-benatar/i-am-under-no-illusions-my-position-no-matter-how-clearly-stated-is/) [David Benatar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-benatar/) > [“Life's big questions are big in the sense that they are momentuous. However, contrary to appearances, they are not big in the sense of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-benatar/life-s-big-questions-are-big-in-the-sense-that-they-are-momentuous/) [David Benatar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-benatar/) > [“Bringing people into existence as well as failing to bring people into existence can be regretted. However, only bringing people into existence can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-benatar/bringing-people-into-existence-as-well-as-failing-to-bring-people/) [David Benatar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-benatar/) > [“Now it might be suggested that cloning is sometimes worse because, where it is done for the sake of the person cloned, it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-benatar/now-it-might-be-suggested-that-cloning-is-sometimes-worse-because/) [David Benatar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-benatar/) > [“Those who do indeed decide to have a child might do so for any number of reasons, but among these reasons cannot be the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-benatar/those-who-do-indeed-decide-to-have-a-child-might-do-so-for-any-number/) [David Benatar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-benatar/) > [“Parents with dependents are somehow thought to count for more. If, for example, there is some scarce resource—a donor kidney perhaps—and of the two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-benatar/parents-with-dependents-are-somehow-thought-to-count-for-more-if-for/) [David Benatar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-benatar/) > [“I shall not assess arguments and evidence for competing views about when human extinction will occur. We know it will occur, and this fact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-benatar/i-shall-not-assess-arguments-and-evidence-for-competing-views-about/) [David Benatar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-benatar/) > [“Never to have been born is best But if we must see the light, the next best Is quickly returning whence we came. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-benatar/never-to-have-been-born-is-best-but-if-we-must-see-the-light-the-next/) [David Benatar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-benatar/) [Explore all 32 David Benatar quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-benatar/) ## More Bright side quotes > [“We can so educate the will power that it will focus the thoughts upon the bright side of things, and upon objects which elevate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/we-can-so-educate-the-will-power-that-it-will-focus-the-thoughts-upon/) [Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) > [Always look on the bright side..it's worth trying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/always-look-on-the-bright-side-it-s-worth-trying/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Always look on the bright side...unless you're holding a laser pointing device.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/always-look-on-the-bright-side-unless-you-re-holding-a-laser-pointing/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you can't see the bright side, why ya just need to polish the dull one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelley-shepard-gray/if-you-can-t-see-the-bright-side-why-ya-just-need-to-polish-the-dull/) [Shelley Shepard Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelley-shepard-gray/) > [Look for positive people and situations. Call a friend who sees the good in others. Spend time with a colleague who affirms the bright…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate/look-for-positive-people-and-situations-call-a-friend-who-sees-the/) [Nate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate/) > [When you are on the bright side of life, do not forget the people who are on the dark side and remember that man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/when-you-are-on-the-bright-side-of-life-do-not-forget-the-people-who/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [We all walk in the dark and each of us must learn to turn on his or her own light.\[so we can see the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-nightingale/we-all-walk-in-the-dark-and-each-of-us-must-learn-to-turn-on-his-or/) [Earl Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-nightingale/) > [I do not pretend that I have led a blameless life, or that one fault justifies another, but the public in judging a case…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ned-kelly/i-do-not-pretend-that-i-have-led-a-blameless-life-or-that-one-fault/) [Ned Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ned-kelly/) > [“Life's a piece of shit, when you look at it, life's a laugh and deat's a joke, it's true: You'll se it's all a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-idle/life-s-a-piece-of-shit-when-you-look-at-it-life-s-a-laugh-and-deat-s/) [Eric Idle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-idle/) > [“In every dark cave there is always a bright side too.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelleskii/in-every-dark-cave-there-is-always-a-bright-side-too/) Nelleskii > [I never really knew what they said when they told me to Forgive and Forget. They tell me it's easy. Maybe for them. Or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brie-cavalinni/i-never-really-knew-what-they-said-when-they-told-me-to-forgive-and/) Brie Cavalinni > [Always look on the bright side. Unless your bright side has Justin Beiber in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/always-look-on-the-bright-side-unless-your-bright-side-has-justin/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [You seem like you are perfectly fine without me. Hey just look on the bright side, you can do all the things I didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-seem-like-you-are-perfectly-fine-without-me-hey-just-look-on-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Failing adds to your experience, Success adds to your self-image. In life everything has its bright sides, you just need to perceive life positively,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeekeshen-chinnappen/failing-adds-to-your-experience-success-adds-to-your-self-image-in/) [Jeekeshen Chinnappen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeekeshen-chinnappen/) > [I get the sense that the British do not like to look at things on the bright side of life. Maybe it has something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-patricia-botin/i-get-the-sense-that-the-british-do-not-like-to-look-at-things-on-the/) [Ana Patricia Botin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-patricia-botin/) [Browse all 276 Bright side quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bright-side/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Finally, the optimist’s impatience with or condemnation of pessimism often has a smug macho tone to it (although males have no monopoly of it). 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