--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I can't seem to be a pessimist long…" description: "\"I can't seem to be a pessimist long enough to overlook the possibility of things being overwhelmingly good.\" — John Corey Whaley" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39c/john-corey-whaley-10361_enough_i-can-t-seem-to-be-a-pessimist-long-enou_2086379.png" --- # I can't seem to be a pessimist long enough to overlook the… ![“I can't seem to be a pessimist long enough to overlook the possibility of things being overwhelmingly good.” quote by John Corey Whaley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39c/john-corey-whaley-10361_enough_i-can-t-seem-to-be-a-pessimist-long-enou_2086379.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39c/john-corey-whaley-10361_enough_i-can-t-seem-to-be-a-pessimist-long-enou_2086379.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39c/john-corey-whaley-10361_enough_i-can-t-seem-to-be-a-pessimist-long-enou_2086379.png) > “I can't seem to be a pessimist long enough to overlook the possibility of things being overwhelmingly good.” [John Corey Whaley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-corey-whaley/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Optimism is hard to sustain; the narrator struggles to stay hopeful despite potential for great joy. **In simple terms:** Staying optimistic is difficult. Key Takeaway Practice gratitude to nurture optimism. Themes optimism hope mental health balance Mood hopeful reflective Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - daily journaling - therapy - support groups - creative writing Key Concepts Positive psychology cognitive bias Questions to Reflect On - What small joys can you notice today? - How do you balance hope with realism? A Different Perspective Optimism can be fragile and may ignore real challenges. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Optimist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/optimist/) [Pessimism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pessimism/) [Pessimist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pessimist/) [Possibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possibility/) ## Related quotes > [“They overlook the possibility that brainstorming can be a skill, an art, more like playing the piano than tying your shoes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-kelley/they-overlook-the-possibility-that-brainstorming-can-be-a-skill-an/) [Thomas Kelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-kelley/) > [The more you strive and search for happiness, the more you overlook the possibility that it is here already.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-holden/the-more-you-strive-and-search-for-happiness-the-more-you-overlook/) [Robert Holden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-holden/) > [Sometimes it's not the optimist you need, but another pessimist to walk beside you and know, absolutely know, that the sound in the dark…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurell-k-hamilton/sometimes-it-s-not-the-optimist-you-need-but-another-pessimist-to/) [Laurell K. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurell-k-hamilton/) > [I think I probably hoped for it a little bit, but I'm not an optimist. I'm a realist... or maybe even a pessimist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clay-aiken/i-think-i-probably-hoped-for-it-a-little-bit-but-i-m-not-an-optimist/) [Clay Aiken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clay-aiken/) > [“You say you're a pessimist, but I happen to know that you're in the habit of practicing your flute for two hours every evening.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/you-say-you-re-a-pessimist-but-i-happen-to-know-that-you-re-in-the/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [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. 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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. 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You have no idea how much of a compliment that is to me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-corey-whaley/you-re-like-lady-macbeth-without-the-murder-thank-you-you-have-no/) [John Corey Whaley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-corey-whaley/) > [“It was a great laugh - that kind where you can actually hear the 'ha-ha-ha's' if you listen closely enough.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-corey-whaley/it-was-a-great-laugh-that-kind-where-you-can-actually-hear-the-ha-ha/) [John Corey Whaley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-corey-whaley/) > [“We have this way of putting certain ideas out of our minds...we do that. Humans, I mean. We have to bury things, hopes and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-corey-whaley/we-have-this-way-of-putting-certain-ideas-out-of-our-minds-we-do-that/) [John Corey Whaley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-corey-whaley/) > [“Life, he says, doesn’t have to be so bad all the time. We don’t have to be anxious about everything. 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And that Data concluded, was true friendship.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-corey-whaley/he-accepted-him-for-what-he-was-and-that-data-concluded-was-true/) [John Corey Whaley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-corey-whaley/) > [“People didn't like having to come up with something smart or helpful or sensitive to say, and they weren't intelligent enough to realize that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-corey-whaley/people-didn-t-like-having-to-come-up-with-something-smart-or-helpful/) [John Corey Whaley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-corey-whaley/) > [Not only had my brother disappeared, but--and bear with me here--a part of my very being had gone with him. Stories about us could,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-corey-whaley/not-only-had-my-brother-disappeared-but-and-bear-with-me-here-a-part/) [John Corey Whaley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-corey-whaley/) > [“When one of us is dying, they say a part of all of us is. I think that's why it hurts. We go our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-corey-whaley/when-one-of-us-is-dying-they-say-a-part-of-all-of-us-is-i-think-that/) [John Corey Whaley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-corey-whaley/) > [“Most people would rather do nothing than risk doing the wrong thing-that's something Solomon learned a long time before shutting them all out.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-corey-whaley/most-people-would-rather-do-nothing-than-risk-doing-the-wrong-thing/) [John Corey Whaley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-corey-whaley/) > [“She did something instead of nothing. And suddenly destiny didn't seem all that far-fetched an idea.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-corey-whaley/she-did-something-instead-of-nothing-and-suddenly-destiny-didn-t-seem/) [John Corey Whaley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-corey-whaley/) > [“Secrets...will boil under your skin until it feels like every time you speak, every time you look in the mirror, every time you hug…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-corey-whaley/secrets-will-boil-under-your-skin-until-it-feels-like-every-time-you/) [John Corey Whaley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-corey-whaley/) [Explore all 65 John Corey Whaley quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-corey-whaley/) ## More Enough quotes > [I guess at it's very core love is connection that just makes so much sense you wonder how you used to live before you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-stone/i-guess-at-it-s-very-core-love-is-connection-that-just-makes-so-much/) [Benjamin Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-stone/) > [Failures happen. 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Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/failures-happen-you-can-t-cry-over-them-you-just-take-it-in-your/) [Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/) > [I feel very grateful to be alive and well enough to make music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-ant/i-feel-very-grateful-to-be-alive-and-well-enough-to-make-music/) Adam Ant > [I've been lucky enough to, for the most part, surround myself with a lot of people who are more talented than me and who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-franco/i-ve-been-lucky-enough-to-for-the-most-part-surround-myself-with-a/) [Dave Franco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-franco/) > [I love because there is not enough room in my heart to hate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rena-kornreich-gelissen/i-love-because-there-is-not-enough-room-in-my-heart-to-hate/) Rena Kornreich Gelissen > [We find few historians who have been diligent enough in their search for truth; it is their common method to take on trust what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/we-find-few-historians-who-have-been-diligent-enough-in-their-search/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [Sometimes it's just enough for me to have the idea. I don't need to see it through to the end. When it actually happens,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-sedaris/sometimes-it-s-just-enough-for-me-to-have-the-idea-i-don-t-need-to/) [Amy Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-sedaris/) > [The vast majority of organizations today have more than enough intelligence, experience and knowledge to be successful. What they lack is organizational health.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-lencioni/the-vast-majority-of-organizations-today-have-more-than-enough/) [Patrick Lencioni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-lencioni/) > [I'm an actor, so I'm never going to feel like I've done enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italia-ricci/i-m-an-actor-so-i-m-never-going-to-feel-like-i-ve-done-enough/) [Italia Ricci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italia-ricci/) > [I've been to Manchester enough to know it's a real place. It's not Factory Records and the Smiths bicycling around. I get it. 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