I am so often accused of gloominess and melancholy. And I think I'm probably the most cheerful man around. I don't consider myself a pessimist at all. I think of a pessimist as someone who is waiting for it to rain. And I feel completely soaked to the skin. ... I think those descriptions of me are quite inappropriate to the gravity of the predicament that faces us all. I've always been free from hope. It's never been one of my great solaces. I feel that more and more we're invited to make ourselves strong and cheerful. .... I think that it was Ben Jonson who said, I have studied all the theologies and all the philosophies, but cheerfulness keeps breaking through.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Cohen rejects labels of gloominess, finding cheerfulness essential despite life's hardships.
- In plain terms
- I am not pessimistic; I am already wet from the rain but still cheerful.
- What can you take from it?
- Choose cheerfulness even when things are hard.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Is cheerfulness a duty?
- How do you cope with suffering?
Another view
It may ignore valid reasons for sadness.
More from Leonard Cohen
Only in Canada could somebody with a voice like mine win 'Vocalist of the Year'.
Permalink to quote #6 Now, I don't want to give you the impression that I'm a great musicologist, but I'm a lot better than what I was described as for a long, long time; you know, …
Permalink to quote #8 It was only when you walked away I saw you had the perfect ass. Forgive me for not falling in love with your face or your conversation.
Permalink to quote #5
Related quotes
Many things are possible. Few things are certain.
Harry TurtledoveHarry Turtledove quote #2 Death, go somewhere, get lost! I'm not done as yet - Joy still flows from the amphora of colors into my cupped hands.
Ghani KhanGhani Khan quote #3 Once we are destined to live out our lives in the prison of our mind, our one duty is to furnish it well.
Peter UstinovPeter Ustinov quote #4