---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm a pessimist. But I think I'd describe…"
description: "\"I'm a pessimist. But I think I'd describe my pessimism as broken-hearted optimism.\" — Ellen Ullman"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ca/ellen-ullman-3943_hope_i-m-a-pessimist-but-i-think-i-d-describe_698711.jpg"
---

#  I'm a pessimist. But I think I'd describe my pessimism as…

![“I'm a pessimist. But I think I'd describe my pessimism as broken-hearted optimism.” quote by Ellen Ullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ca/ellen-ullman-3943_hope_i-m-a-pessimist-but-i-think-i-d-describe_698711.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ca/ellen-ullman-3943_hope_i-m-a-pessimist-but-i-think-i-d-describe_698711.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ca/ellen-ullman-3943_hope_i-m-a-pessimist-but-i-think-i-d-describe_698711.jpg)

> “I'm a pessimist. But I think I'd describe my pessimism as broken-hearted optimism.”

[Ellen Ullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-ullman/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A blend of hope and disappointment, seeing the world with love yet expecting loss.

**In simple terms:** Hopeful sadness about love and loss.

Key Takeaway

Embrace optimism while acknowledging pain.

Themes

pessimism optimism heartbreak resilience

Mood

melancholic hopeful

Type

reflective philosophical

When to use this quote

- personal relationships
- creative work
- self‑reflection

Key Concepts

emotional conflict dual perspective

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you balance hope with realistic outcomes?
- What protects you from despair?

A Different Perspective

Optimism can blind you to realistic expectations.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hope/) [I think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-think/) [Optimism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/optimism/) [Optimist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/optimist/) [Pessimism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pessimism/) [Pessimism Broken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pessimism-broken-5535510/) [Pessimist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pessimist/) [Pessimist Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pessimist-think-1922933/) [Think Pessimism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-pessimism-3156761/)

## Related quotes

> [I still think sincere pessimism the unpardonable sin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-still-think-sincere-pessimism-the-unpardonable-sin/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I'm not a pessimist, even though I do think awful things are going to happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/i-m-not-a-pessimist-even-though-i-do-think-awful-things-are-going-to/)

[James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/)

> [I don't think I'm a total pessimist, so I think you can find hope in all my films.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-lee/i-don-t-think-i-m-a-total-pessimist-so-i-think-you-can-find-hope-in/)

[Spike Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-lee/)

> [I am a huge pessimist, and I think that's just the east-coast Jew in me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-feldman/i-am-a-huge-pessimist-and-i-think-that-s-just-the-east-coast-jew-in-me/)

[Ben Feldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-feldman/)

> [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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/i-don-t-consider-myself-a-pessimist-i-think-of-a-pessimist-as-someone/)

[Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/)

> [Creeds matter very little... The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all possible worlds; and the pessimist fears this is true.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-branch-cabell/creeds-matter-very-little-the-optimist-proclaims-that-we-live-in-the/)

[James Branch Cabell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-branch-cabell/)

> [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/)

> [People have always painted me like a pessimist, like somebody who sees the glass half-empty. But I think the fact that I keep showing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grant/people-have-always-painted-me-like-a-pessimist-like-somebody-who-sees/)

[John Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grant/)

> [Vision involves optimism and hope. The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty. The pessimist tends to hold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-oswald-sanders/vision-involves-optimism-and-hope-the-pessimist-sees-difficulty-in/)

[J. Oswald Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-oswald-sanders/)

> [I'd rather be an optimist and a fool than a pessimist and right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/i-d-rather-be-an-optimist-and-a-fool-than-a-pessimist-and-right/)

[Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/)

> [The intelligent investor is a realist who sells to optimists and buys from pessimists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-intelligent-investor-is-a-realist-who-sells-to-optimists-and-buys/)

[Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/)

> [I'm such a pessimist. I find it impossible to enjoy anything, especially while it's happening. I'm thinking about how to get the next thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-anderson/i-m-such-a-pessimist-i-find-it-impossible-to-enjoy-anything/)

[Jacob Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-anderson/)

> [“The optimist and the pessimist both die in the end, but each lives is life in a completely different way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-optimist-and-the-pessimist-both-die-in-the-end-but-each-lives-is/)

[Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/)

> [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/)

> [I'm a pessimist because of intelligence, but an optimist because of will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonio-gramsci/i-m-a-pessimist-because-of-intelligence-but-an-optimist-because-of/)

[Antonio Gramsci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonio-gramsci/)

## More by Ellen Ullman

> [I think technical people now should learn literature, because literature teaches you a great deal about how - the depths and variety of human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-ullman/i-think-technical-people-now-should-learn-literature-because/)

[Ellen Ullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-ullman/)

> [The web is just another stunning point in the two-hundred-thousand-year history of human beings on earth. The taming of fire; the discovery of penicillin;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-ullman/the-web-is-just-another-stunning-point-in-the-two-hundred-thousand/)

[Ellen Ullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-ullman/)

> [When I am writing, and occasionally achieve single focus and presence, I finally feel that is where I'm supposed to be. Everything else is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-ullman/when-i-am-writing-and-occasionally-achieve-single-focus-and-presence/)

[Ellen Ullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-ullman/)

> [I don't know where anyone ever got the idea that technology, in and of itself, was a savior. Like all human-created 'progress,' computers are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-ullman/i-don-t-know-where-anyone-ever-got-the-idea-that-technology-in-and-of/)

[Ellen Ullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-ullman/)

> [You can only get a beginner's mind once.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-ullman/you-can-only-get-a-beginner-s-mind-once/)

[Ellen Ullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-ullman/)

> [I'm a dark thoughts writer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-ullman/i-m-a-dark-thoughts-writer/)

[Ellen Ullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-ullman/)

> [I hate to see capable, smart people out of work - young or old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-ullman/i-hate-to-see-capable-smart-people-out-of-work-young-or-old/)

[Ellen Ullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-ullman/)

> [“I believed my motivations were clear: to help the patient see the pattern that had been imposed upon her, this endless repetition of being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-ullman/i-believed-my-motivations-were-clear-to-help-the-patient-see-the/)

[Ellen Ullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-ullman/)

> [It had to happen to me sometime: sooner or later, I would have to lose sight of the cutting edge. That moment every technical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-ullman/it-had-to-happen-to-me-sometime-sooner-or-later-i-would-have-to-lose/)

[Ellen Ullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-ullman/)

> [Software and digital devices are imbued with the values of their creators.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-ullman/software-and-digital-devices-are-imbued-with-the-values-of-their/)

[Ellen Ullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-ullman/)

> [ I've always written. I'm from an older generation of programmers \[who\] did not come out of engineering. \[A\]ll sorts of people were drawn in… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-ullman/i-ve-always-written-i-m-from-an-older-generation-of-programmers-who/)

[Ellen Ullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-ullman/)

> [Through the miracle of natural genetic recombination, each child, with the sole exception of an identical twin, is conceived as a unique being. Even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-ullman/through-the-miracle-of-natural-genetic-recombination-each-child-with/)

[Ellen Ullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-ullman/)

> [Staring prejudice in the face imposes a cruel discipline: to structure your anger, to achieve a certain dignity, an angry dignity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-ullman/staring-prejudice-in-the-face-imposes-a-cruel-discipline-to-structure/)

[Ellen Ullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-ullman/)

> [Y2K has challenged a belief in digital technology that has been almost religious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-ullman/y2k-has-challenged-a-belief-in-digital-technology-that-has-been/)

[Ellen Ullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-ullman/)

> [I don't consider myself a Jewish writer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-ullman/i-don-t-consider-myself-a-jewish-writer/)

[Ellen Ullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-ullman/)

[Explore all 119 Ellen Ullman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-ullman/)

## More Hope quotes

> [Of all the people who have affected my life and influenced the choices I've made, none has been more important than my father. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teddy-atlas/of-all-the-people-who-have-affected-my-life-and-influenced-the/)

[Teddy Atlas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teddy-atlas/)

> [“Cine a ucis stelele? Cine a surpat drumul spre viitor al celor din morminte?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ionel-teodoreanu/cine-a-ucis-stelele-cine-a-surpat-drumul-spre-viitor-al-celor-din/)

[Ionel Teodoreanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ionel-teodoreanu/)

> [“What can we do in any hardship? We can hope with prayerful praise.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/what-can-we-do-in-any-hardship-we-can-hope-with-prayerful-praise/)

[Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/)

> [I hope I continue to evolve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-flair/i-hope-i-continue-to-evolve/)

[Charlotte Flair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-flair/)

> [If one truly has lost hope, one would not be on hand to say so.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-bentley/if-one-truly-has-lost-hope-one-would-not-be-on-hand-to-say-so/)

[Eric Bentley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-bentley/)

> [“too—I realized that my only hope was to give up the life that had been, in order to make room for the life that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-lesser/too-i-realized-that-my-only-hope-was-to-give-up-the-life-that-had/)

[Elizabeth Lesser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-lesser/)

> [You practice mindfulness, on the one hand, to be calm and peaceful. On the other hand, as you practice mindfulness and live a life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-practice-mindfulness-on-the-one-hand-to-be-calm-and-peaceful-on/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Stop trying to give me hope ... I have no room left for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenn-f/stop-trying-to-give-me-hope-i-have-no-room-left-for-it/)

[Jenn F](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenn-f/)

> [If there is any period one would desire to be born in, is it not the age of Revolution; when the old and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-there-is-any-period-one-would-desire-to-be-born-in-is-it-not-the/)

[Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/)

> [Give me love, give me peace on earth, give me light, give me life, keep me free from birth, give me hope, help me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/give-me-love-give-me-peace-on-earth-give-me-light-give-me-life-keep/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Pray, hope, don't worry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pio-of-pietrelcina/pray-hope-don-t-worry/)

[Pio of Pietrelcina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pio-of-pietrelcina/)

> [Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to your tasks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillips-brooks/do-not-pray-for-tasks-equal-to-your-powers-pray-for-powers-equal-to/)

[Phillips Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillips-brooks/)

> [I am at a point in my life where everything I have worked for starts to look like a burden, a weight on my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-abou-samra/i-am-at-a-point-in-my-life-where-everything-i-have-worked-for-starts/)

[Simone Abou Samra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-abou-samra/)

> [Im really happy that I met you I hope you know that](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/im-nothing/im-really-happy-that-i-met-you-i-hope-you-know-that/)

[Im Nothing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/im-nothing/)

> [All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel Mother.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/all-that-i-am-or-ever-hope-to-be-i-owe-to-my-angel-mother/)

[Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/)

[Browse all 24,868 Hope quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hope/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I'm a pessimist. But I think I'd describe my pessimism as broken-hearted optimism.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Ellen Ullman"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-ullman/i-m-a-pessimist-but-i-think-i-d-describe-my-pessimism-as-broken/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Hope"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-ullman/i-m-a-pessimist-but-i-think-i-d-describe-my-pessimism-as-broken/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ca/ellen-ullman-3943_hope_i-m-a-pessimist-but-i-think-i-d-describe_698711.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ca/ellen-ullman-3943_hope_i-m-a-pessimist-but-i-think-i-d-describe_698711.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ca/ellen-ullman-3943_hope_i-m-a-pessimist-but-i-think-i-d-describe_698711.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I'm a pessimist. But I think I'd describe my pessimism as broken-hearted optimism.” — Ellen Ullman",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Ellen Ullman",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-ullman/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I'm a pessimist. But I think...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-ullman/i-m-a-pessimist-but-i-think-i-d-describe-my-pessimism-as-broken/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-ullman/i-m-a-pessimist-but-i-think-i-d-describe-my-pessimism-as-broken/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```