look on the bright side
look on the bright side
Meaning
- always try to see the good things even in bad situations
- to be positive and optimistic despite problems
- no matter what difficulties or challenges you are going through, you should remain optimistic
- to find all the positive possibilities that would result from the hardships you are experiencing
Example Sentences
- Don’t worry about your exam score; look on the bright side. It is a significant improvement from the previous exam.
- Besides what is coming our way, we should look on the bright side and at least wear a smile.
- The COVID-19 pandemic has been a huge blow but, look on the bright side. It exposed loopholes in the healthcare systems.
- Jaden was always one to look on the bright side and to never take himself too seriously.
- It’s easy for people to say that be optimistic or look on the bright side, but where is the bright side? Who tells?
- Nothing is impossible for Junior John Cena if he learns to look on the bright side.
Origin
The phrase can be traced back in 1932 from a British Musical Comedy film called “Looking on the Bright Side.” It is a film featuring actors Gracie Fields and Richard Dolman. It narrates a story of two lovers who are into musical acts, and as soon as one of them gets a taste of fame, they run off after another actress. The expression is always a pointer to look back at the bright side of your life no matter the situation.
The phrase is also used in the British Monty Python play in the song “the life of Brian” and can be explained as taking it easy even during hard times.
About the Author
Elena Jones holds a PhD in Education from Harvard University. She has extensive experience teaching at both the K–12 and university levels, with a particular focus on English as a Second Language. Elena has dedicated her career to advancing educational practices, and she has contributed to numerous educational journals.
Share your opinions1 Opinion
Hello! I would like to ask a question. While reading Agnes grey: a book by Anne Brontë, I found a quote which references the term “looking on the bright side” which is: “to regard the matter on its bright side.” This sparked curiosity within me, and so I went on search for when this term was first used. Is it possible that “look on the bright side” may have originated from this term penned by Anne Brontë or does it have a further connection with history and/or literature and was then modernised into “look on the bright side”?
Thank you for reading!
‒ Haiden Grantham-Hogg March 19, 2022