Quote by Will Durant

Perhaps our supercilious disgust with existence is a cover for a secret disgust with ourselves; we have botched and bungled our lives, and we cast the blame upon the environment or the world, which have no tongues to utter a defense. The mature man accepts the natural limitations of life; he does not expect Providence to be prejudiced in his favor; he does not ask for loaded dice to play the game of life. He knows, with Carlyle, that there is no sense in vilifying the sun because it will not light our cigars. And perhaps, if we are clever enough to help it, the sun will even do that; and this vast neutral cosmos may turn out to be a pleasant place enough if we bring a little sunshine of our own to help it out. In truth, the world is neither with us or against us; it is but raw material in our hands, and can be heaven or hell according to what we are.

Summary

This quote suggests that our negative outlook on life may actually be a reflection of our own dissatisfaction with ourselves. Instead of taking responsibility for our own mistakes and failures, we often blame external factors such as the environment or the world. A mature individual acknowledges the inherent limitations of life and doesn't expect special treatment from fate. Rather than berating the sun for not accommodating our desires, we should strive to bring positivity and brightness to our own lives. Ultimately, the world is neutral and indifferent to our existence, but it can be molded into a pleasant or unpleasant place depending on our own attitudes and actions.