"There is a good side to every situation"
About this Quote
The subtext is practical and a little ruthless. If every situation contains an upside, then no one gets to linger in grievance for long. It’s an emotional speed limit: you can be disappointed, but you can’t stop. That’s why it travels so well in sales culture, entrepreneurship, and self-help business writing, where morale is an input like cash flow. Reframing isn’t just comfort; it’s productivity.
Context matters because this kind of optimism is culturally American and postwar-coded: confidence as a tool, positivity as a competitive advantage. Schwartz, as a businessman, isn’t speaking from a therapist’s couch; he’s speaking from the logic of incentives. Look for the “good side” and you’ll find options: a pivot, a lesson, a market signal, a relationship you can repair.
The line works because it’s both vague and actionable. It doesn’t specify the “good,” so the listener supplies it, which makes the hope feel self-generated. Still, there’s a shadow: used carelessly, it can excuse denial or minimize real harm. At its best, it’s a disciplined optimism, less about cheerfulness than about refusing to waste a crisis.
Quote Details
| Topic | Optimism |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Schwartz, David Joseph. (2026, January 16). There is a good side to every situation. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/there-is-a-good-side-to-every-situation-130075/
Chicago Style
Schwartz, David Joseph. "There is a good side to every situation." FixQuotes. January 16, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/there-is-a-good-side-to-every-situation-130075/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"There is a good side to every situation." FixQuotes, 16 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/there-is-a-good-side-to-every-situation-130075/. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.






