I doubt that any man knows enough to be a pessimist. Neither am I a reckless optimist. I do not think that things necessarily come out all right in the end if left to themselves.
Norman Cousins (1915-1990) American editor
Who Speaks for Man? (1953)Cousins used the phrase on numerous occasions. Variants:
- "No one really knows enough to be a pessimist."
- "No one is smart enough to be a pessimist."