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"Both optimists and pessimists contribute to our society. The optimist invents the airplane and the pessimist the parachute"

Content of: "Both optimists and pessimists contribute to our society. The optimist invents the airplane and the pessimist the parachute"

Posted by Between the Lines Profile 09/01/25 at 04:43AM Quotes - Proverbs See more by Between the Lines

W. H. H. MacKellar is the most likely originator of this expression based on the 1939 citation in “The Rotarian”. Gil Stern popularized a version beginning in 1967. Other attributions have been made but there is not strong support for them. Read more