465 quotes
Research programmes, besides their negative heuristic, are also characterized by their positive heuristic.
Imre Lakatos
Philosopher · Hungarian · 1922 – 1974
Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier.
Colin Powell
Statesman · American · b. 1937
To emphasize only the beautiful seems to me to be like a mathematical system that only concerns itself with positive numbers.
Paul Klee
Artist · Swiss · 1879 – 1940
In everyday things the law of sacrifice takes the form of positive duty.
James Anthony Froude
Historian · English · 1818 – 1894
Pessimism, when you get used to it, is just as agreeable as optimism.
Arnold Bennett
Novelist · English · 1867 – 1931
The actual danger is nothing, and the positive advantages very great.
William John Wills
Scientist · English
The place where optimism flourishes most is the lunatic asylum.
Havelock Ellis
Psychologist · British · 1859 – 1939
I am positive that flexibility is a feminine characteristic.
Emma Bonino
Politician · Italian · b. 1948
For me optimism is two lovers walking into the sunset arm in arm. Or maybe into the sunrise - whatever appeals to you.
Krzysztof Kieslowski
Director · Polish · 1941 – 1996
For a manager to be perceived as a positive manager, they need a four to one positive to negative contact ratio.
Ken Blanchard
Businessman · American
Do we care about these people that are HIV-positive whose lives have been ruined? Those are the people I'm the most concerned about. Every night I think about this.
Kary Mullis
Scientist · American · b. 1944
I hate banks. They do nothing positive for anybody except take care of themselves. They're first in with their fees and first out when there's trouble.
Earl Warren
Judge · American · 1891 – 1974
The basis of optimism is sheer terror.
Oscar Wilde
Dramatist · Irish · 1854 – 1900
Aside from all that, we recall that antibodies to malaria and other diseases prevalent in Africa show up as HIV-positive on tests.
Serge Lang
Mathematician · 1927 – 2005
The way positive reinforcement is carried out is more important than the amount.
B. F. Skinner
Psychologist · American · 1904 – 1990
I am not a prophet in any sense of the word, and I entertain an active and intense dislike of the foregoing mixture of optimism, fatalism, and conservatism.
Herbert Croly
Author · American · 1869 – 1930
When you think about the day-to-day, positive impact on the lives of U.S. citizens, there is no relationship that we have in the world that is more important than our relationship with Canada.
Paul Cellucci
Politician · American · b. 1948
What we can borrow from Ronald Reagan... is that great sense of optimism. He led by building on the strengths of America, not running America down.
Rudy Giuliani
Politician · American · b. 1944
Thus at the beginning of 1906 it seemed to be established that the emitters of the spectral series of chemical elements are their positive atomic ions.
Johannes Stark
Physicist · 1874 – 1957
We need a positive economic agenda that invests in the innovation and growth that will create jobs for middle class families and ensure that America remains the world leader.
Rick Larsen
Politician · American · b. 1965
It is important to recognize and politics positive thinking is often the slaves' virtue - something that people do to con themselves about the burden and change being placed upon them.
James Bovard
Author
We are optimistic, but we are optimistic in a cautious fashion.
Tom Lantos
Diplomat · American · 1928 – 2008
These are the soul's changes. I don't believe in ageing. I believe in forever altering one's aspect to the sun. Hence my optimism.
Virginia Woolf
Author · British · 1882 – 1941
You got to look on the bright side, even if there ain't one.
Dashiell Hammett
Author · American · 1894 – 1961
I'm very sunny. You know, I'm always optimistic.
Paul Begala
Journalist · American · b. 1961
I've been looking at companies that are on a positive path vs. a negative path and I've come to use the language of sports, winning streaks and losing streaks.
Rosabeth Moss Kanter
We have a positive vision of the future founded on the belief that the gap between the promise and reality of America can one day be finally closed. We believe that.
Barbara Jordan
Lawyer · American · 1936 – 1996
But in fact if you look at film as a metaphor, only through the negative can you have the positive print. What I'm trying to get to is the positive value of negation.
Godfrey Reggio
Director · American · b. 1940
While only about half of the voters feel they know very much about Reagan or what he stands for, the Republicans who do have a very positive perception of him.
Robert Teeter
Politician · American
Yes, but I think if you look at it with a sort of gay sensibility and want everything to be positive about gay life, it could be interpreted as antigay.
John Schlesinger
Director · British · 1925 – 2003
I think that Americans should gradually begin to adopt positive behavior rather than doing evil. They should not expect an immediate reaction in return for their positive measures. It will take time.
Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
Politician · Iranian · b. 1934
Congress must take responsibility for a new positive direction - an innovative agenda that will lead to a more secure America. Secure communities, secure economies, and a secure quality of life.
As Bob Dole found out, you can't keep a positive image while being your party's mouthpiece in Congress. That's why no legislative leader since James Madison has ever been elected president.
Dick Morris
Author · American · b. 1948
I feel blessed to be here representing our country and carrying out th research of scientists around the world... I hope you could feel the positive energy that beamed to the whole planet as we glided over.
Laurel Clark
Astronaut · American · 1961 – 2003
From what we've heard about George W., he has a lot issues that he wants to run on. They're positive. They're good. He thinks he's got a good vision for America.
Barbara Olson
Journalist · American · 1955 – 2001
It's really an optimistic show. I think most of the people in this country are optimistic, too.
Charles Osgood
Journalist · American · b. 1933
One positive command he gave us: You shall love and honor your emperor. In every congregation a prayer must be said for the czar's health, or the chief of police would close the synagogue.
Mary Antin
Activist · Russian · 1909 – 1949
Hope is definitely not the same thing as optimism. It is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out.
Vaclav Havel
Leader · Czechoslovakian · b. 1936
There is little difference in people, but that little difference makes a big difference. That little difference is attitude. The big difference is whether it is positive or negative.
Robert Collier
Publisher · American
There is little difference in people, but that little difference makes a big difference. The little difference is attitude. The big difference is whether it is positive or negative.
W. Clement Stone
Businessman · American · 1902 – 2002
Modern Orthodoxy has a highly positive attitude toward the State of Israel. Our Ultra-Orthodox brethren recognize only the Holy Land, but not the state.
Norman Lamm
Educator · American
The most positive step is to try to expand the employment base by making it, if not economically friendly, at least not economically disastrous, for studios to take on deficits.
Dick Wolf
Producer · American · b. 1946
You've done it before and you can do it now. See the positive possibilities. Redirect the substantial energy of your frustration and turn it into positive, effective, unstoppable determination.
Ralph Marston
Writer · American · b. 1955
When someone is HIV-positive and his partner says, I want to have sexual relations with you, he doesn't have to do that. But when he does, he has to use a condom.
Godfried Danneels
Clergyman · b. 1933
We sincerely ask the Beijing authorities across the Strait to view the election result from a positive perspective, to accept the democratic decision of the Taiwanese people.
Chen Shui-bian
Statesman · b. 1951
We can in fact first place the beam of rays of moving positive atomic ions in a plane perpendicular to the axis in which we see the spectral lines emitted by them.
Electricity is of two kinds, positive and negative. The difference is, I presume, that one comes a little more expensive, but is more durable; the other is a cheaper thing, but the moths get into it.
Stephen Leacock
Economist · Canadian · 1869 – 1944
I don't know why they're doing it. I have to assume that their motives are positive, not negative. But they don't understand the severity of the problem in this state.
Gray Davis
Politician · American · b. 1942