--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: And the funny thing is, I've always been…" description: "\"And the funny thing is, I've always been an optimist - it's practically a congenital disorder with me.\" — Molly Ivins" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27c/molly-ivins-1296_always_and-the-funny-thing-is-i-ve-always-been_1930162.png" --- # And the funny thing is, I've always been an optimist… ![“And the funny thing is, I've always been an optimist - it's practically a congenital disorder with me.” quote by Molly Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27c/molly-ivins-1296_always_and-the-funny-thing-is-i-ve-always-been_1930162.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27c/molly-ivins-1296_always_and-the-funny-thing-is-i-ve-always-been_1930162.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27c/molly-ivins-1296_always_and-the-funny-thing-is-i-ve-always-been_1930162.png) > “And the funny thing is, I've always been an optimist - it's practically a congenital disorder with me.” [Molly Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-ivins/) ## 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 feel innate, but it may also be a coping mechanism that masks challenges. **In simple terms:** Optimism can seem like a built‑in trait. Key Takeaway Embrace optimism, but stay realistic. Themes optimism coping self‑perception Mood reflective balanced Type motivational self‑help When to use this quote - personal setbacks - career challenges - health issues - stressful decisions Key Concepts psychology resilience self‑awareness Questions to Reflect On - How does optimism affect your decision‑making? - When might optimism become a hindrance? A Different Perspective Optimism may blind you to risks if unexamined. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Always](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/always/) [Congenital](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/congenital-359241/) [Congenital Disorder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/congenital-disorder-3016716/) [Disorder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disorder/) [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Funny things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny-things/) [Me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/me/) [Optimist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/optimist/) [Optimist Practically](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/optimist-practically-3016714/) [Practically Congenital](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/practically-congenital-3016715/) [Ve Optimist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ve-optimist-1673038/) ## Related quotes > [I've never been an optimist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-baez/i-ve-never-been-an-optimist/) [Joan Baez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-baez/) > [I don't generally talk about medical terms when I discuss my position as a disabled person. I take a social rather than medical approach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stella-young/i-don-t-generally-talk-about-medical-terms-when-i-discuss-my-position/) [Stella Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stella-young/) > [I've always been an optimist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-clooney/i-ve-always-been-an-optimist/) [George Clooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-clooney/) > [I've been a Cub all my life. I came up here when I was 20 years old and spent my whole career here in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-santo/i-ve-been-a-cub-all-my-life-i-came-up-here-when-i-was-20-years-old/) [Ron Santo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-santo/) > [I have a congenital aversion to failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/i-have-a-congenital-aversion-to-failure/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [“Congenital disease can warp the heart with great variety. Valves can be sealed tight, missing parts—or absent altogether. Major vessels can be misplaced, narrowed,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-wayne-miller/congenital-disease-can-warp-the-heart-with-great-variety-valves-can/) [G. Wayne Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-wayne-miller/) > [I've always been an optimist and I believe laughter is a wonderful thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-herz-sommer/i-ve-always-been-an-optimist-and-i-believe-laughter-is-a-wonderful/) [Alice Herz-Sommer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-herz-sommer/) > [I am a congenital optimist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-collins/i-am-a-congenital-optimist/) [Susan Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-collins/) > [God has a sense of humor though and he must see funny things in us. He must also have some love. We're still here…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/god-has-a-sense-of-humor-though-and-he-must-see-funny-things-in-us-he/) [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) > [Funny things tend not to happen to me. I am not a natural comic. I need to think about things a lot before I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-atkinson/funny-things-tend-not-to-happen-to-me-i-am-not-a-natural-comic-i-need/) [Rowan Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-atkinson/) > [The funny thing is, I don't actually think of myself as fat at all. I don't think I am. Not really.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-brand/the-funny-thing-is-i-don-t-actually-think-of-myself-as-fat-at-all-i/) [Jo Brand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-brand/) > [I think religion is a funny thing because, when you see somebody who can really break it down, sometimes it feels foolish what you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-costner/i-think-religion-is-a-funny-thing-because-when-you-see-somebody-who/) [Kevin Costner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-costner/) > [Social media, and the way the Internet works, you see a lot of funny things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicklas-bendtner/social-media-and-the-way-the-internet-works-you-see-a-lot-of-funny/) [Nicklas Bendtner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicklas-bendtner/) > [Wendy, Wendy, when you are sleeping in your silly bed you might be flying about with me saying funny things to the stars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/wendy-wendy-when-you-are-sleeping-in-your-silly-bed-you-might-be/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When we criticize in Iran the actions of the government, the fundamentalists say that we and the Bush Administration are in the same camp.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirin-ebadi/when-we-criticize-in-iran-the-actions-of-the-government-the/) [Shirin Ebadi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirin-ebadi/) ## More by Molly Ivins > [Preemptive war is what Israel did in '67 with Arab armies on its borders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-ivins/preemptive-war-is-what-israel-did-in-67-with-arab-armies-on-its/) [Molly Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-ivins/) > [The idols of one's adolescence tend to endure - you never forget how you worshipped them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-ivins/the-idols-of-one-s-adolescence-tend-to-endure-you-never-forget-how/) [Molly Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-ivins/) > [Having breast cancer is massive amounts of no fun,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-ivins/having-breast-cancer-is-massive-amounts-of-no-fun/) [Molly Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-ivins/) > [How the American right managed to convince itself that the programs to alleviate poverty are responsible for the consequences of poverty will someday be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-ivins/how-the-american-right-managed-to-convince-itself-that-the-programs/) [Molly Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-ivins/) > [To mistake Midland for the volk heartland is the West Texas equivalent of assuming that Greenwich, Connecticut, is Levittown.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-ivins/to-mistake-midland-for-the-volk-heartland-is-the-west-texas/) [Molly Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-ivins/) > [I only aim at the powerful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-ivins/i-only-aim-at-the-powerful/) [Molly Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-ivins/) > [Even for southerners, Arkansans are amazingly friendly and extend hospitality to all strangers with astonishing openness. You couldn't find a pretension in that state…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-ivins/even-for-southerners-arkansans-are-amazingly-friendly-and-extend/) [Molly Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-ivins/) > [It's hard to convince people that you're killing them for their own good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-ivins/it-s-hard-to-convince-people-that-you-re-killing-them-for-their-own/) [Molly Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-ivins/) > [the pyramids were built for pharaohs on the happy theory that they could take their stuff with them. Versailles was built for kings on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-ivins/the-pyramids-were-built-for-pharaohs-on-the-happy-theory-that-they/) [Molly Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-ivins/) > [Any nation that can survive what we have lately in the way of government, is on the high road to permanent glory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-ivins/any-nation-that-can-survive-what-we-have-lately-in-the-way-of/) [Molly Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-ivins/) > [I think provincialism is an endemic characteristic with mankind, I think everybody everywhere is provincial, but it is particularly striking with Texans, and we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-ivins/i-think-provincialism-is-an-endemic-characteristic-with-mankind-i/) [Molly Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-ivins/) > [During a recent panel on the numerous failures of American journalism, I proposed that almost all stories about government should begin: “Look out! They're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-ivins/during-a-recent-panel-on-the-numerous-failures-of-american-journalism/) [Molly Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-ivins/) > [Naturally, when it comes to voting, we in Texas are accustomed to discerning that fine hair’s-breadth worth of difference that makes one hopeless dipstick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-ivins/naturally-when-it-comes-to-voting-we-in-texas-are-accustomed-to/) [Molly Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-ivins/) > [Be outrageous, ridicule the fraidy-cats, rejoice in all the oddities that freedom can produce.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-ivins/be-outrageous-ridicule-the-fraidy-cats-rejoice-in-all-the-oddities/) [Molly Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-ivins/) > [Texas is not a civilized place. Texans shoot one another a lot. They also knife, razor, and stomp one another to death with some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-ivins/texas-is-not-a-civilized-place-texans-shoot-one-another-a-lot-they/) [Molly Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-ivins/) [Explore all 260 Molly Ivins quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-ivins/) ## More Always quotes > [I think performing has pretty much always been a part of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isa-briones/i-think-performing-has-pretty-much-always-been-a-part-of-me/) [Isa Briones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isa-briones/) > [I always thought if I was born 2000 years earlier, I would be a monk, probably carving a monastery or some giant pantheon buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenova-chen/i-always-thought-if-i-was-born-2000-years-earlier-i-would-be-a-monk/) [Jenova Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenova-chen/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [It's always great to see old friends, especially those I have not been able to see in 15 months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-regal/it-s-always-great-to-see-old-friends-especially-those-i-have-not-been/) [William Regal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-regal/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [I have really good lateral movement. I've always had quick lateral movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-rivers/i-have-really-good-lateral-movement-i-ve-always-had-quick-lateral/) [Austin Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-rivers/) > [There is something magical about being able to feel somebody. And that is something that has always moved me with music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-brink/there-is-something-magical-about-being-able-to-feel-somebody-and-that/) [Maria Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-brink/) > [Mythology is something that always has opportunities to explore. 'It' has been on Earth for millions of years. He's been in contact with humans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-muschietti/mythology-is-something-that-always-has-opportunities-to-explore-it/) [Andy Muschietti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-muschietti/) > [It's not writing in the traditional sense, but I've always said that the writing process continues on the set and even into the editing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-b-weide/it-s-not-writing-in-the-traditional-sense-but-i-ve-always-said-that/) [Robert B. Weide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-weide/) > [I always watch my matches back 100 times afterwards because that's how I improve. This is something I've always done, even in NXT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-rose/i-always-watch-my-matches-back-100-times-afterwards-because-that-s/) [Mandy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-rose/) > [I've always been of the idea that is doesn't really matter where you are geographically - with 'Lonerism,' we made half the album in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-parker/i-ve-always-been-of-the-idea-that-is-doesn-t-really-matter-where-you/) [Kevin Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-parker/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. If I would lose - because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/whether-it-was-little-league-or-playing-with-your-brothers-or-sisters/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) > [I always say if you put someone from a small town into a big city for ten years, then when they go back, they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-always-say-if-you-put-someone-from-a-small-town-into-a-big-city-for/) [Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/) > [Bayern is always a team that can win the Champions League title in Europe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lothar-matthaus/bayern-is-always-a-team-that-can-win-the-champions-league-title-in/) [Lothar Matthaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lothar-matthaus/) [Browse all 36,048 Always quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/always/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "And the funny thing is, I've always been an optimist - it's practically a congenital disorder with me.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Molly Ivins" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-ivins/and-the-funny-thing-is-i-ve-always-been-an-optimist-it-s-practically/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Always" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-ivins/and-the-funny-thing-is-i-ve-always-been-an-optimist-it-s-practically/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27c/molly-ivins-1296_always_and-the-funny-thing-is-i-ve-always-been_1930162.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27c/molly-ivins-1296_always_and-the-funny-thing-is-i-ve-always-been_1930162.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27c/molly-ivins-1296_always_and-the-funny-thing-is-i-ve-always-been_1930162.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“And the funny thing is, I've always been an optimist - it's practically a congenital disorder with me.” — Molly Ivins", "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": "Molly Ivins", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-ivins/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "And the funny thing is, I've...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-ivins/and-the-funny-thing-is-i-ve-always-been-an-optimist-it-s-practically/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-ivins/and-the-funny-thing-is-i-ve-always-been-an-optimist-it-s-practically/#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 } } ] } ```