--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Although I'm perceived as very optimistic…" description: "\"Although I'm perceived as very optimistic and upbeat, it comes out of being the opposite of that - feeling isolated or lonely, looking for meaning and ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e3/jane-mcgonigal-6871_although_although-i-m-perceived-as-very-optimisti_20690.png" --- # Although I'm perceived as very optimistic and upbeat, it… ![“Although I'm perceived as very optimistic and upbeat, it comes out of being the opposite of that - feeling isolated or lonely, looking for meaning and the kinds of things that ease that suffering in life, and finding them in large-scale social interaction, like theater and games.” quote by Jane McGonigal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e3/jane-mcgonigal-6871_although_although-i-m-perceived-as-very-optimisti_20690.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e3/jane-mcgonigal-6871_although_although-i-m-perceived-as-very-optimisti_20690.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e3/jane-mcgonigal-6871_although_although-i-m-perceived-as-very-optimisti_20690.png) > “Although I'm perceived as very optimistic and upbeat, it comes out of being the opposite of that - feeling isolated or lonely, looking for meaning and the kinds of things that ease that suffering in life, and finding them in large-scale social interaction, like theater and games.” [Jane McGonigal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mcgonigal/) ## 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 be a coping mechanism for loneliness, seeking purpose through communal experiences such as theater and games. **In simple terms:** Optimism masks deeper isolation. Key Takeaway Community alleviates existential loneliness. Themes optimism loneliness meaning social interaction theater games Mood reflective hopeful Type personal insight philosophical When to use this quote - feeling isolated - searching for purpose - participating in group activities Key Concepts psychology social connection play Practical Applications - designing community-driven games - using theater for therapeutic engagement Questions to Reflect On - How can shared play transform personal despair into collective hope? - What role does performance art play in rebuilding social bonds? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Although](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/although/) [Being](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being/) [Ease](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ease/) [Feeling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feeling/) [Feeling Isolated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feeling-isolated-315711/) [Finding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/finding/) [Games](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/games/) [Interaction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interaction/) [Isolated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/isolated/) [Kinds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kinds/) [Large scale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/large-scale/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like/) [Lonely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lonely/) [Looking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looking/) [Meaning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meaning/) [Opposite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opposite/) [Opposite Feeling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opposite-feeling-396156/) [Optimistic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/optimistic/) [Optimistic Upbeat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/optimistic-upbeat-396157/) [Out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/out/) [Perceived](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perceived/) [Perceived Optimistic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perceived-optimistic-396155/) [Social](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social/) [Social interaction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-interaction/) [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) [Suffering In Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering-in-life/) [Theater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theater/) [Them](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/them/) [Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things/) [Upbeat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/upbeat/) [Very](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/very/) ## Related quotes > [The genius of a folk melody or story is not the feeling that it's original but quite the opposite - the feeling that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/the-genius-of-a-folk-melody-or-story-is-not-the-feeling-that-it-s/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) > [None of my patients are really troubled by the idea that some part of what they say might be in a book in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/none-of-my-patients-are-really-troubled-by-the-idea-that-some-part-of/) [Irvin D. 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I remember looking out of the window at all these fans but just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolores-o-riordan/i-was-so-famous-that-i-couldn-t-leave-the-hotel-room-i-remember/) [Dolores O'Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolores-o-riordan/) > [“When I felt as though I had reached land, it was like I was on a deserted sandy beach, feeling isolated and afraid to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-merryn/when-i-felt-as-though-i-had-reached-land-it-was-like-i-was-on-a/) [Erin Merryn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-merryn/) ## More by Jane McGonigal > [Urgent optimism is the desire to act immediately to tackle an obstacle, combined with the belief that we have a reasonable hope of success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mcgonigal/urgent-optimism-is-the-desire-to-act-immediately-to-tackle-an/) [Jane McGonigal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mcgonigal/) > [“Over time, even the tiniest meaningful actions add up, each one bringing you closer to a life that is truer to your dreams and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mcgonigal/over-time-even-the-tiniest-meaningful-actions-add-up-each-one/) [Jane McGonigal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mcgonigal/) > [We've been playing games since humanity had civilization - there is something primal about our desire and our ability to play games. 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Gamers don't sit around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mcgonigal/gamers-always-believe-that-an-epic-win-is-possible-and-that-it-s/) [Jane McGonigal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mcgonigal/) > [Cory Doctorow is a fast and furious storyteller who gets all the details of alternate reality gaming right, while offering a startling, new vision…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mcgonigal/cory-doctorow-is-a-fast-and-furious-storyteller-who-gets-all-the/) [Jane McGonigal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mcgonigal/) > [“Gamers who have grown up being intensely engaged by well-designed virtual environments are hungry for better forms of engagement in their real lives. They’re…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mcgonigal/gamers-who-have-grown-up-being-intensely-engaged-by-well-designed/) [Jane McGonigal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mcgonigal/) > [Games are work. There are economies popping up in games now because people value them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mcgonigal/games-are-work-there-are-economies-popping-up-in-games-now-because/) [Jane McGonigal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mcgonigal/) > [We are moving towards a new form of collective intelligence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mcgonigal/we-are-moving-towards-a-new-form-of-collective-intelligence/) [Jane McGonigal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mcgonigal/) > [I ran through most of college and ran through most of grad school. When I was writing my dissertation for my Ph.D., it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mcgonigal/i-ran-through-most-of-college-and-ran-through-most-of-grad-school/) [Jane McGonigal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mcgonigal/) > [Every game designer should make one explicitly world-changing game. 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