--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Pessimism is a very easy way out when…" description: "\"“Pessimism is a very easy way out when you’re considering what life really is, because pessimism is a short view of life. If you look at what is happen..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b15/robertson-davies-834_easy-way_pessimism-is-a-very-easy-way-out-when-yo_159656.jpg" --- # Pessimism is a very easy way out when you’re considering… ![“Pessimism is a very easy way out when you’re considering what life really is, because pessimism is a short view of life. If you look at what is happening around us today and what has happened just since you were born, you can’t help but feel that life is a terrible complexity of problems and…” quote by Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b15/robertson-davies-834_easy-way_pessimism-is-a-very-easy-way-out-when-yo_159656.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b15/robertson-davies-834_easy-way_pessimism-is-a-very-easy-way-out-when-yo_159656.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b15/robertson-davies-834_easy-way_pessimism-is-a-very-easy-way-out-when-yo_159656.jpg) > ““Pessimism is a very easy way out when you’re considering what life really is, because pessimism is a short view of life. If you look at what is happening around us today and what has happened just since you were born, you can’t help but feel that life is a terrible complexity of problems and illnesses of one sort or another. But if you look back a few thousand years, you realize that we have advanced fantastically from the day when the first amoeba crawled out of the slime and made its adventure on land. If you take a long view, I do not see how you can be pessimistic about the future of man or the future of the world.”” [Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Adopting a long‑term perspective reveals humanity’s progress, countering short‑term pessimism about life’s problems. **In simple terms:** Seeing history shows we’ve improved, so optimism about the future is justified. Key Takeaway Focus on long‑term trends, not immediate setbacks. Themes optimism history progress perspective hope Mood reflective hopeful inspired Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - personal growth - policy planning - education - healthcare - environmental action Key Concepts Long‑term view historical context human advancement Questions to Reflect On - How does your view change when you consider centuries instead of years? - What evidence of progress can you identify in your own life? A Different Perspective Short‑term crises can dominate perception, making optimism feel unrealistic. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Easy way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/easy-way/) [Excitement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excitement/) [Future](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/future/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Pessimism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pessimism/) [Pessimistic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pessimistic/) [Thousand years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thousand-years/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [View of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/view-of-life/) ## Related quotes > [Pessimism is a very easy way out because it is a short view of life. If you look at what is happening around us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/pessimism-is-a-very-easy-way-out-because-it-is-a-short-view-of-life/) [Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/) > [Pessimism is a very easy way out when you're considering what life really is, because pessimism is a short view of life - If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/pessimism-is-a-very-easy-way-out-when-you-re-considering-what-life-2/) [Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/) > [“Know what you can change from what you can’t, and you’ll live a happier, more peaceful life. This view is not pessimistic—it is pragmatic.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominique-francon/know-what-you-can-change-from-what-you-can-t-and-you-ll-live-a/) [Dominique Francon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominique-francon/) > [I'm very pessimistic about the future of the human species. 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Fehrenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-r-fehrenbach/) ## More by Robertson Davies > [“...the irrational will have its say, perhaps because 'irrational' is the wrong word for it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/the-irrational-will-have-its-say-perhaps-because-irrational-is-the/) [Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/) > [If you're going to do something that looks evil, don't smear it with icing and pretend it's good; just bloody well do it and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/if-you-re-going-to-do-something-that-looks-evil-don-t-smear-it-with/) [Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/) > [Extraordinary people survive under the most terrible circumstances and they become more extraordinary because of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/extraordinary-people-survive-under-the-most-terrible-circumstances/) [Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/) > [Although there may be nothing new under the sun, what is old is new to us and so rich and astonishing that we never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/although-there-may-be-nothing-new-under-the-sun-what-is-old-is-new-to/) [Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/) > [If I had to describe my remarks this evening frankly as if I were in police court and on oath, so to speak I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/if-i-had-to-describe-my-remarks-this-evening-frankly-as-if-i-were-in/) [Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/) > [The people of the United States, perhaps more than any other nation in history, love to abase themselves and proclaim their unworthiness, and seem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/the-people-of-the-united-states-perhaps-more-than-any-other-nation-in/) [Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/) > [I don't suppose God laughs at the people who think He doesn't exist. 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