--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If I'm going to be a pessimist, then I…" description: "\"If I'm going to be a pessimist, then I should just stop writing for young people because that's too heavy a burden to put on young readers. But also, I..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/117/deborah-ellis-24587_also_if-i-m-going-to-be-a-pessimist-then-i-sh_1387951.jpg" --- # If I'm going to be a pessimist, then I should just stop… ![“If I'm going to be a pessimist, then I should just stop writing for young people because that's too heavy a burden to put on young readers. But also, I get to meet with people who have waded through horrible things, and they get up every morning, and they try to do their best.” quote by Deborah Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/117/deborah-ellis-24587_also_if-i-m-going-to-be-a-pessimist-then-i-sh_1387951.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/117/deborah-ellis-24587_also_if-i-m-going-to-be-a-pessimist-then-i-sh_1387951.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/117/deborah-ellis-24587_also_if-i-m-going-to-be-a-pessimist-then-i-sh_1387951.jpg) > “If I'm going to be a pessimist, then I should just stop writing for young people because that's too heavy a burden to put on young readers. But also, I get to meet with people who have waded through horrible things, and they get up every morning, and they try to do their best.” [Deborah Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ellis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker feels burdened by writing for youth but values the resilience and hope they bring, despite heavy topics. **In simple terms:** Writing for youth is heavy but rewarding. Key Takeaway Balance honest storytelling with hope. Themes literature resilience youth burden hope Mood reflective hopeful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - young adult novels - mental health advocacy - educational workshops Key Concepts empathy ethical responsibility inspiration Questions to Reflect On - How can writers address tough subjects responsibly? - What role does hope play in youth literature? A Different Perspective Heavy topics may alienate some readers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Also](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/also/) [Because](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/because/) [Best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Burden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/burden/) [Every](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/every/) [Every morning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/every-morning/) [Get](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/get/) [Going](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/going/) [Going Pessimist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/going-pessimist-1301115/) [Heavy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heavy/) [Horrible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horrible/) [Horrible things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horrible-things/) [Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/just/) [Meet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meet/) [Morning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morning/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Pessimism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pessimism/) [Pessimist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pessimist/) [Pessimist Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pessimist-just-895448/) [Put](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/put/) [Readers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/readers/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Stop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stop/) [Stop Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stop-writing/) [Then](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/then/) [Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things/) [Through](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/through/) [Too](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/too/) [Try](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/try/) [Up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/up/) [Who](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/who/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-young-285910/) [Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young/) [Young people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young-people/) [Youth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/youth/) ## Related quotes > [People who don't know me think I'm easy-going, but I'm a pessimist by nature and an old curmudgeon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-garner/people-who-don-t-know-me-think-i-m-easy-going-but-i-m-a-pessimist-by/) [James Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-garner/) > [“I am not a pessimist. Just a well informed optimist.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-am-not-a-pessimist-just-a-well-informed-optimist/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We all deal with our inner pessimist. We just try to find as much positivity as we can find.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-alvarez/we-all-deal-with-our-inner-pessimist-we-just-try-to-find-as-much/) [Eddy Alvarez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-alvarez/) > [A pessimist is just an optimist with experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eyedea/a-pessimist-is-just-an-optimist-with-experience/) [Eyedea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eyedea/) > [“I'M NOT A PESSIMIST! I just see the glass half empty even when it's completely full. ...WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clara-delemos/i-m-not-a-pessimist-i-just-see-the-glass-half-empty-even-when-it-s/) [Clara deLemos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clara-delemos/) > [I think a pessimist is just an optimist who has had their heart repeatedly broken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-richardson/i-think-a-pessimist-is-just-an-optimist-who-has-had-their-heart/) [Jon Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-richardson/) > [Being a pessimist is just such a gloomy way of looking at things, so I have to hope for the best - life wouldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/being-a-pessimist-is-just-such-a-gloomy-way-of-looking-at-things-so-i/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [For a stretch of time, I got really caught up in the idea that what people liked about my work was that I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-tomine/for-a-stretch-of-time-i-got-really-caught-up-in-the-idea-that-what/) [Adrian Tomine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-tomine/) > [I think about my audience when I write, to some extent. Thinking of writing for young adults, I try to keep the stories moving,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-sleator/i-think-about-my-audience-when-i-write-to-some-extent-thinking-of/) [William Sleator](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-sleator/) > [I was writing when I was very young, and then I became interested in everything - I wanted to do photography. I wanted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-lelio/i-was-writing-when-i-was-very-young-and-then-i-became-interested-in/) [Sebastian Lelio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-lelio/) > [I think anytime you're writing to the middle grades, you're writing to young readers who are trapped in a number of ways between two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/i-think-anytime-you-re-writing-to-the-middle-grades-you-re-writing-to/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [Talented people are finding that writing for young people is as demanding of high quality as writing for adults.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lloyd-alexander/talented-people-are-finding-that-writing-for-young-people-is-as/) [Lloyd Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lloyd-alexander/) > [I've always been drawn to writing for young readers. The books that I read growing up remain in my mind very strongly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-wolitzer/i-ve-always-been-drawn-to-writing-for-young-readers-the-books-that-i/) [Meg Wolitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-wolitzer/) > [I started out writing when I was young; stuff about exposing the truth about how people are not what they appear, about how they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-white/i-started-out-writing-when-i-was-young-stuff-about-exposing-the-truth/) [Mike White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-white/) > [You should constantly write because your writing is always evolving and progressing. It's really important to start writing young.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellie-goulding/you-should-constantly-write-because-your-writing-is-always-evolving/) [Ellie Goulding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellie-goulding/) ## More by Deborah Ellis > [In refugee camps around the world, I met people who were gone. They were still walking around but had lost so much that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ellis/in-refugee-camps-around-the-world-i-met-people-who-were-gone-they/) [Deborah Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ellis/) > [I think most people, no matter what their situation, manage to find joy and comfort in their daily lives. I also think things fall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ellis/i-think-most-people-no-matter-what-their-situation-manage-to-find-joy/) [Deborah Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ellis/) > [We owe it to our children to be honest about the world and to provide them with material written specially for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ellis/we-owe-it-to-our-children-to-be-honest-about-the-world-and-to-provide/) [Deborah Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ellis/) > [“The path you are on is one you chose for yourself”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ellis/the-path-you-are-on-is-one-you-chose-for-yourself/) [Deborah Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ellis/) > [In Afghanistan, there have been a lot of teachers assassinated, schools are being blown up, girls are harassed and in some cases, attacked on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ellis/in-afghanistan-there-have-been-a-lot-of-teachers-assassinated-schools/) [Deborah Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ellis/) > [“Like it or not, you need to know how to do this. Your future depends on it. You give up on this, you will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ellis/like-it-or-not-you-need-to-know-how-to-do-this-your-future-depends-on/) [Deborah Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ellis/) > [One of the things that has really hit home for me is that the world is how we decide it is going to be.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ellis/one-of-the-things-that-has-really-hit-home-for-me-is-that-the-world/) [Deborah Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ellis/) > [I was really bored, pretty antisocial, and not much of a joiner, and people thought that was a problem. I hated high school. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ellis/i-was-really-bored-pretty-antisocial-and-not-much-of-a-joiner-and/) [Deborah Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ellis/) > [“I didn’t create this world,” she said to herself. “I only have to live in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ellis/i-didn-t-create-this-world-she-said-to-herself-i-only-have-to-live-in/) [Deborah Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ellis/) > [When the Taliban took over in 1996, the news of their crimes hit the Toronto papers. As a feminist and as an anti-war activist,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ellis/when-the-taliban-took-over-in-1996-the-news-of-their-crimes-hit-the/) [Deborah Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ellis/) > [You have to see the human being in the enemy. If there is potential for change, there is still hope.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ellis/you-have-to-see-the-human-being-in-the-enemy-if-there-is-potential/) [Deborah Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ellis/) > [While the war in Iraq was raging, I spent some time in neighbouring Jordan, meeting with Iraqi refugees who fled their country to try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ellis/while-the-war-in-iraq-was-raging-i-spent-some-time-in-neighbouring/) [Deborah Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ellis/) > [Nobody really owns anything. We give back our bodies at the end of our lives. We own our thoughts, but everything else is just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ellis/nobody-really-owns-anything-we-give-back-our-bodies-at-the-end-of-our/) [Deborah Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ellis/) > [“Grownups shouldn’t turn their backs on children.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ellis/grownups-shouldn-t-turn-their-backs-on-children/) [Deborah Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ellis/) > [“A lazy brain does no one any good.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ellis/a-lazy-brain-does-no-one-any-good/) [Deborah Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ellis/) [Explore all 24 Deborah Ellis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ellis/) ## More Also quotes > [I'm a workaholic, but I also like to vacation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karrueche-tran/i-m-a-workaholic-but-i-also-like-to-vacation/) [Karrueche Tran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karrueche-tran/) > [I've also directed, shot, and edited several music videos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-king/i-ve-also-directed-shot-and-edited-several-music-videos/) [Richard King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-king/) > [Movies have power. Power to impact society and the choices we make. I want to entertain, but I also want to say something to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-prince-bythewood/movies-have-power-power-to-impact-society-and-the-choices-we-make-i/) [Gina Prince-Bythewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-prince-bythewood/) > [I'm not against gay people. I have a relative who is also gay. We can't help it if they were born that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-pacquiao/i-m-not-against-gay-people-i-have-a-relative-who-is-also-gay-we-can-t/) [Manny Pacquiao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manny-pacquiao/) > [I want to make myself and the crowd happy by way of something different, and that makes things difficult. I'm never playing something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiesto/i-want-to-make-myself-and-the-crowd-happy-by-way-of-something/) [Tiesto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiesto/) > [My parents are divorced, and seeing that was really painful for me. Really painful for me. But that's also a big part of why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banks/my-parents-are-divorced-and-seeing-that-was-really-painful-for-me/) [Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banks/) > [With all the technology we're inventing and what they're coming up with scientifically, people are having longer lifetimes. It's scary, but in the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittany-murphy/with-all-the-technology-we-re-inventing-and-what-they-re-coming-up/) [Brittany Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brittany-murphy/) > [I like 'The Usual Suspects'. Great film. I also like 'Scarface', films like that. Lots of gangster films. I really like watching all kinds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barkhad-abdi/i-like-the-usual-suspects-great-film-i-also-like-scarface-films-like/) [Barkhad Abdi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barkhad-abdi/) > [I'm in 'Madagascar 2.' I'm Testy the Lion. The franchise moves to Africa, and Bernie Mac is also in the film. I loved working…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lister-jr/i-m-in-madagascar-2-i-m-testy-the-lion-the-franchise-moves-to-africa/) [Tom Lister, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lister-jr/) > [I was born with a silver microphone in my mouth, and that was an advantage. My father wrote books and was also a great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-dimbleby/i-was-born-with-a-silver-microphone-in-my-mouth-and-that-was-an/) [Jonathan Dimbleby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-dimbleby/) > [I always like to look for adventure when I go away. I have gone on several horse adventures with my wife - from Guangxi…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antony-gormley/i-always-like-to-look-for-adventure-when-i-go-away-i-have-gone-on/) [Antony Gormley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antony-gormley/) > [It's important for American soldiers to be culturally sensitive when deployed in foreign countries. 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