--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It were unwise to be sanguine, and…" description: "\"“It were unwise to be sanguine, and unphilosophical to despair.”\" — John Playfair" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6b/john-playfair-46821_despair_it-were-unwise-to-be-sanguine-and-unphil_397325.jpg" --- # It were unwise to be sanguine, and unphilosophical to… ![“It were unwise to be sanguine, and unphilosophical to despair.” quote by John Playfair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6b/john-playfair-46821_despair_it-were-unwise-to-be-sanguine-and-unphil_397325.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6b/john-playfair-46821_despair_it-were-unwise-to-be-sanguine-and-unphil_397325.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6b/john-playfair-46821_despair_it-were-unwise-to-be-sanguine-and-unphil_397325.jpg) > ““It were unwise to be sanguine, and unphilosophical to despair.”” [John Playfair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-playfair/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Optimism without caution can be reckless, while despair without hope is irrational; balance is needed. **In simple terms:** Avoid blind optimism and hopelessness. Key Takeaway Maintain realistic hope. Themes mindset balance philosophy Mood reflective balanced Type philosophical advice When to use this quote - decision making - personal growth - crisis management Key Concepts risk assessment emotional regulation Questions to Reflect On - When have you felt overly optimistic? - How do you recover from despair? A Different Perspective Excessive optimism may ignore risks; despair can paralyze action. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Despair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/despair/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) ## Related quotes > [My life shall be free and broad and great, and I will not be the slave to the sense delights which chained my ancient…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-london/my-life-shall-be-free-and-broad-and-great-and-i-will-not-be-the-slave/) [Jack London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-london/) > [Look at those they call unfortunate and at a closer view, you'll find many of them are unwise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-young/look-at-those-they-call-unfortunate-and-at-a-closer-view-you-ll-find/) [Andrew Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-young/) > [The new Republican Congress should move full speed ahead to repeal and replace Obamacare. 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They aren't asking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ramadan/51-of-the-french-people-who-are-not-very-religious-were-thinking-that/) [Tariq Ramadan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ramadan/) > [This is servitude, To serve th'unwise, or him who hath rebelled Against his worthier, as thine now serve thee, Thyself not free, but to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/this-is-servitude-to-serve-th-unwise-or-him-who-hath-rebelled-against/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [Mindfulness is being aware of yourself, others, and your surroundings in the moment. When consciously and kindly focusing awareness on life as it unfolds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-thoele/mindfulness-is-being-aware-of-yourself-others-and-your-surroundings/) [Sue Thoele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-thoele/) > [The first reactions are often instinctive. So one of the first things we said was that the Chinese had no right to inspect the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/the-first-reactions-are-often-instinctive-so-one-of-the-first-things/) [Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/) ## More by John Playfair > [The Author of nature has not given laws to the universe, which, like the institutions of men, carry in themselves the elements of their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-playfair/the-author-of-nature-has-not-given-laws-to-the-universe-which-like/) [John Playfair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-playfair/) > [“The ridge of the Lammer-muir hills... consists of primary micaceous schistus, and extends from St Abb's head westward... The sea-coast affords a transverse section…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-playfair/the-ridge-of-the-lammer-muir-hills-consists-of-primary-micaceous/) [John Playfair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-playfair/) > [ \[To\] explain the phenomena of the mineral kingdom ... systems are usually reduced to two classes, according as they refer to the origin of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-playfair/to-explain-the-phenomena-of-the-mineral-kingdom-systems-are-usually/) [John Playfair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-playfair/) > [Every river appears to consist of a main trunk, fed from a variety of branches, each running in a valley proportional to its size,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-playfair/every-river-appears-to-consist-of-a-main-trunk-fed-from-a-variety-of/) [John Playfair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-playfair/) > [Thus we conclude, that the strata both primary and secondary, both those of ancient and those of more recent origin, have had their materials…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-playfair/thus-we-conclude-that-the-strata-both-primary-and-secondary-both/) [John Playfair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-playfair/) > [To trace the series of these revolutions, to explain their causes, and thus to connect together all the indications of change that are found…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-playfair/to-trace-the-series-of-these-revolutions-to-explain-their-causes-and/) [John Playfair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-playfair/) > [Amid all the revolutions of the globe, the economy of Nature has been uniform, ... and her laws are the only things that have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-playfair/amid-all-the-revolutions-of-the-globe-the-economy-of-nature-has-been/) [John Playfair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-playfair/) [Explore all 8 John Playfair quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-playfair/) ## More Despair quotes > [“As ofttimes as it rains on my little spot of earth, you'd think I'd grow accustomed to the gloom.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/as-ofttimes-as-it-rains-on-my-little-spot-of-earth-you-d-think-i-d/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [“She searched her mind for a single day when it had felt good to be alive. There must have been one, surely?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-abbott/she-searched-her-mind-for-a-single-day-when-it-had-felt-good-to-be/) [Rachel Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-abbott/) > [“Men circle like bees around honey, buzzing to communicate their sexual despair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-h-krueger/men-circle-like-bees-around-honey-buzzing-to-communicate-their-sexual/) [Carla H Krueger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-h-krueger/) > [I think what was special about 'Music by Prudence' was the classic story of the title subject's life path - from being an outcast…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-think-what-was-special-about-music-by-prudence-was-the-classic/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [Your spirit is the part of you that seeks meaning and purpose. 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It caused me nothing but sorrow. No need for another tomorrow. In your heart, I will never be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louaiq8/enough-for-this-bow-arrow-it-caused-me-nothing-but-sorrow-no-need-for/) Louaiq8 > [True repentance never leads to despair. Its leads home. It leads to grace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/true-repentance-never-leads-to-despair-its-leads-home-it-leads-to/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [Do not consider despair as a thick and high wall standing on your way; it is just a darkness and you can still walk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/do-not-consider-despair-as-a-thick-and-high-wall-standing-on-your-way/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [Despair is the price one pays for setting oneself an impossible aim. 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Feed a man, clothe him, put him in a good house,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-have-noticed-that-there-is-no-dissatisfaction-like-that-of-the-rich/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) [Browse all 3,181 Despair quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/despair/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It were unwise to be sanguine, and unphilosophical to despair.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Playfair" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-playfair/it-were-unwise-to-be-sanguine-and-unphilosophical-to-despair/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Despair" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-playfair/it-were-unwise-to-be-sanguine-and-unphilosophical-to-despair/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6b/john-playfair-46821_despair_it-were-unwise-to-be-sanguine-and-unphil_397325.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6b/john-playfair-46821_despair_it-were-unwise-to-be-sanguine-and-unphil_397325.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6b/john-playfair-46821_despair_it-were-unwise-to-be-sanguine-and-unphil_397325.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It were unwise to be sanguine, and unphilosophical to despair.” — John Playfair", "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": "John Playfair", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-playfair/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“It were unwise to be sanguine,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-playfair/it-were-unwise-to-be-sanguine-and-unphilosophical-to-despair/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-playfair/it-were-unwise-to-be-sanguine-and-unphilosophical-to-despair/#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 } } ] } ```