x

Folder Sign In:

Incorrect Username / Password

Email Address:

 

Password:

 

Create New Account      Password Reminder

x

Folder Sign In:

You've Successfully Logged In!

x

Create New Account:

You do not need to sign in to use this database. However, signing in gains you access to a personal folder that you can use to save items. These items will be archived and made available to you during future database sessions.

Email Address:

 

Password:

 

Already Have Account      Password Reminder

x

Folder Sign In:

You've Successfully Created a New Account!

x

Password Reminder:

Enter your email address and we will send you your password for your Saved Items Folder Account Sign In.

E-mail Address:

 

x

Password Reminder:

Reminder Email sent!

x

E-mail Article:

Send this article to the following E-mail address. Use commas to separate multiple addresses.

E-mail Address:

 

x

E-mail Article:

Article sent!

x
Citation Information
How to Cite
Manser, Martin H. "always look on the bright side." Writer's Reference Center. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 18 Apr. 2025. <http://fofweb.infobase.com/wrc/Detail.aspx?iPin=DOP00050>.
x
Record URL
To refer to this page or share this page with others, copy and paste this link:
http://fofweb.infobase.com/wrc/Detail.aspx?iPin=DOP00050

always look on the bright side

Definition 
You should always take the optimistic or positive view, especially when things are going badly: "I was walking the ridgepole and I fell off. I expect I have sprained my ankle. But … I might have broken my neck. Let us look on the bright side of things" (Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables, 1908). The proverb was first recorded in 1726, in a sermon by John Wesley. According to a less well-known saying, "If you try to make some people see the bright side, they will complain that it hurts their eyes."

Variant of this proverb: look on the bright side, or polish up the dark one.

Return to Top Return to Top