I’m a pessimist because of intelligence, but an optimist because of will.
Meaning of the quote
Antonio Gramsci, an Italian politician, believed that he was a pessimist because he was smart and could see the problems in the world. However, he also felt like an optimist because he had the determination to try and make things better, despite the challenges.
About Antonio Gramsci
Antonio Gramsci was an influential Italian Marxist philosopher and leader of the Italian Communist Party. During his imprisonment, he wrote extensively on topics like philosophy, politics, and culture, and his Prison Notebooks are considered a highly original contribution to 20th-century political theory. Gramsci’s ideas on cultural hegemony and his humanistic understanding of Marxism have had a lasting impact on various fields.
More quotes from Antonio Gramsci
To tell the truth is revolutionary.
Italian Marxist philosopher, writer, and politician (1891-1937)
I turn and turn in my cell like a fly that doesn’t know where to die.
Italian Marxist philosopher, writer, and politician (1891-1937)
Pessimism of the spirit; optimism of the will.
Italian Marxist philosopher, writer, and politician (1891-1937)
My practicality consists in this, in the knowledge that if you beat your head against the wall it is your head which breaks and not the wall – that is my strength, my only strength.
Italian Marxist philosopher, writer, and politician (1891-1937)
I’m a pessimist because of intelligence, but an optimist because of will.
Italian Marxist philosopher, writer, and politician (1891-1937)
The challenge of modernity is to live without illusions and without becoming disillusioned.
Italian Marxist philosopher, writer, and politician (1891-1937)