--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Your positive thinker may do well in…" description: "\"“Your positive thinker may do well in suburbia but I'd rather be with a lucid depressive in the Arctic, where survival depends on precision and not foo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d17/gwyneth-lewis-49465_fooling-yourself_your-positive-thinker-may-do-well-in-sub_2330953.jpg" --- # Your positive thinker may do well in suburbia but I'd… ![“Your positive thinker may do well in suburbia but I'd rather be with a lucid depressive in the Arctic, where survival depends on precision and not fooling yourself about your chances on the ice.” quote by Gwyneth Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d17/gwyneth-lewis-49465_fooling-yourself_your-positive-thinker-may-do-well-in-sub_2330953.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d17/gwyneth-lewis-49465_fooling-yourself_your-positive-thinker-may-do-well-in-sub_2330953.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d17/gwyneth-lewis-49465_fooling-yourself_your-positive-thinker-may-do-well-in-sub_2330953.jpg) > ““Your positive thinker may do well in suburbia but I'd rather be with a lucid depressive in the Arctic, where survival depends on precision and not fooling yourself about your chances on the ice.”” [Gwyneth Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwyneth-lewis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A positive mindset may thrive in comfortable settings, but harsh environments demand realistic assessment and precise survival tactics. **In simple terms:** Optimism works in safety; harshness needs realism. Key Takeaway Prioritize realistic planning over blind optimism. Themes survival realism optimism environment precision Mood reflective serious Type philosophical advice When to use this quote - Arctic expeditions - remote work - disaster response - high‑risk projects Key Concepts risk assessment psychology adaptation Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance optimism with realism? - When is optimism a liability? A Different Perspective Optimism can be valuable in non‑survival contexts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fooling yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fooling-yourself/) [Positive thinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/positive-thinker/) ## Related quotes > [You can think negatively or positively. If you are a positive thinker, you will base your decisions on faith rather than fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-h-schuller/you-can-think-negatively-or-positively-if-you-are-a-positive-thinker/) [Robert H. Schuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-h-schuller/) > [A positive thinker does not refuse to recognize the negative; he refuses to dwell on it. Positive thinking is a form of thought which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/a-positive-thinker-does-not-refuse-to-recognize-the-negative-he/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [“Develop Positive Thinking This is a very powerful habit to form. While being a positive thinker may not lead you to overnight success, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-g-roldan/develop-positive-thinking-this-is-a-very-powerful-habit-to-form-while/) [Alexis G. Roldan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-g-roldan/) > [“The positive thinker seeks to answer the question "how can I do it?", rather than simply saying "it can't be done.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amey-hegde/the-positive-thinker-seeks-to-answer-the-question-how-can-i-do-it/) [Amey Hegde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amey-hegde/) > [A negative thinker see a difficulty in every opportunity, A positive thinker see an opportunity in every difficulty, wish u an optimistic life..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-negative-thinker-see-a-difficulty-in-every-opportunity-a-positive/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I am a positive thinker. You have to have this positive energy to get somewhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-green/i-am-a-positive-thinker-you-have-to-have-this-positive-energy-to-get/) [Philip Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-green/) > [Any positive thinker is compelled to see everything in the light of his own convictions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoinette-brown-blackwell/any-positive-thinker-is-compelled-to-see-everything-in-the-light-of/) [Antoinette Brown Blackwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoinette-brown-blackwell/) > [No pessimist ever discovered the secrets of the stars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-keller/no-pessimist-ever-discovered-the-secrets-of-the-stars/) [Helen Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-keller/) > [I am a very positive thinker, and I think that is what helps me the most in difficult moments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-federer/i-am-a-very-positive-thinker-and-i-think-that-is-what-helps-me-the/) [Roger Federer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-federer/) > [“Ceaseless optimism about the future only makes for a greater shock when things go wrong; by fighting to maintain only positive beliefs about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-burkeman/ceaseless-optimism-about-the-future-only-makes-for-a-greater-shock-2/) [Oliver Burkeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-burkeman/) > [Positive thinkers get positive results because they are not afraid of problems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-blanchard/positive-thinkers-get-positive-results-because-they-are-not-afraid-of/) [Ken Blanchard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-blanchard/) > [Every morning you have a choice. Are you going to be a positive thinker or a negative thinker? Positive thinking will energize you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-gordon/every-morning-you-have-a-choice-are-you-going-to-be-a-positive/) [Jon Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-gordon/) > [Ceaseless optimism about the future only makes for a greater shock when things go wrong; by fighting to maintain only positive beliefs about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-burkeman/ceaseless-optimism-about-the-future-only-makes-for-a-greater-shock/) [Oliver Burkeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-burkeman/) > [Positive Thinkers get positive results because they appreciate the inestimable value of a day, this day, not the next day, but this day, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/positive-thinkers-get-positive-results-because-they-appreciate-the/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [“No poison can kill a positive thinker, and no medicine can save a negative thinker.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/came/no-poison-can-kill-a-positive-thinker-and-no-medicine-can-save-a/) Came ## More by Gwyneth Lewis > [“The wordlessness of depression is a galling experience. You can't phone your friends, writing an e-mail is beyond you, you can't put pen to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwyneth-lewis/the-wordlessness-of-depression-is-a-galling-experience-you-can-t/) [Gwyneth Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwyneth-lewis/) > [“Cognitive therapists focus on getting patients to see the glass as half-full rather than half-empty. Being positive has become rather a fetish. A more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwyneth-lewis/cognitive-therapists-focus-on-getting-patients-to-see-the-glass-as/) [Gwyneth Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwyneth-lewis/) > [“Poetry has acquired a fluffy image, which is totally at odds with its real nature. It's not pastel colours, but blood-red and black. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwyneth-lewis/poetry-has-acquired-a-fluffy-image-which-is-totally-at-odds-with-its/) [Gwyneth Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwyneth-lewis/) > [“When you're in the middle of your depression, pay good attention to it, because, tended carefully, you never know where it might lead you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwyneth-lewis/when-you-re-in-the-middle-of-your-depression-pay-good-attention-to-it/) [Gwyneth Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwyneth-lewis/) > [“The whole thing starts with a single knot and needles. A word and pen. Tie a loop in nothing. Look at it. Cast on,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwyneth-lewis/the-whole-thing-starts-with-a-single-knot-and-needles-a-word-and-pen/) [Gwyneth Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwyneth-lewis/) > [“The crucial thing here is not to listen to your mind. Your mind has got its basic communication lines crossed. If you try to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwyneth-lewis/the-crucial-thing-here-is-not-to-listen-to-your-mind-your-mind-has/) [Gwyneth Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwyneth-lewis/) [Explore all 7 Gwyneth Lewis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwyneth-lewis/) ## More Fooling yourself quotes > [“Pathological liars lie most often to themselves about their ability to fool others. They think they're geniuses at it when most people see through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stewart-stafford/pathological-liars-lie-most-often-to-themselves-about-their-ability/) [Stewart Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stewart-stafford/) > [“The only true solutions to complex systemic problems are piecemeal, multi-pronged answers, and they will vary wildly from forest to desert, from city to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bierce/the-only-true-solutions-to-complex-systemic-problems-are-piecemeal/) John Bierce > [If you constantly post about something or someon...99.9% you still miss it . Stop fooling yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-constantly-post-about-something-or-someon-99-9-you-still-miss/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Your job as a scientist is to figure out how you're fooling yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-perlmutter/your-job-as-a-scientist-is-to-figure-out-how-you-re-fooling-yourself/) [Saul Perlmutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-perlmutter/) > [Stop fooling yourself with 'good enough.' You can force the right piece into the wrong puzzle but it will forever be incomplete.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/stop-fooling-yourself-with-good-enough-you-can-force-the-right-piece/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You can lie to yourself and pretend like they're into you, but if they only want sex or money from you then you're only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-parker/you-can-lie-to-yourself-and-pretend-like-they-re-into-you-but-if-they/) [Sonya Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonya-parker/) > [If you think you are in control, you're fooling yourself. As soon as you start listening, you realize you're not in control. And letting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlene-li/if-you-think-you-are-in-control-you-re-fooling-yourself-as-soon-as/) [Charlene Li](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlene-li/) > [You're in high school, you don't have 'haters' or a 'reputation' that actually means something, so stop fooling yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-re-in-high-school-you-don-t-have-haters-or-a-reputation-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Relationships in high school are a joke. Your not gonna last forever, stop fooling yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/relationships-in-high-school-are-a-joke-your-not-gonna-last-forever/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I find that you can use an acting technique when the thing isn't working, not that you make the technique the end result of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-gere/i-find-that-you-can-use-an-acting-technique-when-the-thing-isn-t/) [Richard Gere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-gere/) > [You're fooling yourself if you argue with a fool - others may not know the difference.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-paul/you-re-fooling-yourself-if-you-argue-with-a-fool-others-may-not-know/) [Robert Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-paul/) > [“Now, it’s time for me to lock up and go. Listen to me. Lock up an empty building that’s gonna be torn down. Makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-groat/now-it-s-time-for-me-to-lock-up-and-go-listen-to-me-lock-up-an-empty/) Dan Groat > [“It's easier to believe the most outlandish lie that confirms what you suspect than the most obvious truth that denies it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-sullivan/it-s-easier-to-believe-the-most-outlandish-lie-that-confirms-what-you/) [Michael J. Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-sullivan/) > [“If you have to use the words, “deep down” all that means is you're fooling yourself. You're seeing what you want to see and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nyrae-dawn/if-you-have-to-use-the-words-deep-down-all-that-means-is-you-re/) [Nyrae Dawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nyrae-dawn/) > [“If you don't believe in the things you're doing, the answer isn't fooling yourself into thinking you believe it. If you don't believe in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-myers/if-you-don-t-believe-in-the-things-you-re-doing-the-answer-isn-t/) [Jason Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-myers/) [Browse all 52 Fooling yourself quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fooling-yourself/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Your positive thinker may do well in suburbia but I'd rather be with a lucid depressive in the Arctic, where survival depends on precision and not fooling yourself about your chances on the ice.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Gwyneth Lewis" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwyneth-lewis/your-positive-thinker-may-do-well-in-suburbia-but-i-d-rather-be-with/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Fooling yourself" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwyneth-lewis/your-positive-thinker-may-do-well-in-suburbia-but-i-d-rather-be-with/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d17/gwyneth-lewis-49465_fooling-yourself_your-positive-thinker-may-do-well-in-sub_2330953.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d17/gwyneth-lewis-49465_fooling-yourself_your-positive-thinker-may-do-well-in-sub_2330953.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d17/gwyneth-lewis-49465_fooling-yourself_your-positive-thinker-may-do-well-in-sub_2330953.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Your positive thinker may do well in suburbia but I'd rather be with a lucid depressive in the Arctic, where…” — Gwyneth Lewis", "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": "Gwyneth Lewis", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwyneth-lewis/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Your positive thinker may do well...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwyneth-lewis/your-positive-thinker-may-do-well-in-suburbia-but-i-d-rather-be-with/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwyneth-lewis/your-positive-thinker-may-do-well-in-suburbia-but-i-d-rather-be-with/#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 } } ] } ```