With optimism, you look upon the sunny side of things. People say, Studs, youre an optimist. I never said I was an optimist. I have hope because whats the alternative to hope? Despair? If you have despair, you might as well put your head in the oven. – Studs Terkel

I think its realistic to have hope. One can be a perverse idealist and say the easiest thing: I despair. The worlds no good. Thats a perverse idealist. Its practical to hope, because the hope is for us to survive as a human species. Thats very realistic. – Studs Terkel