It is hope--with regard to our careers, our love lives, our children, our politicians, and our planet--that is primarily to blame for angering and embittering us. The incompatibility between the grandeur of our aspirations and the mean reality of our condition generates the violent disappointments which rack our days and etch themselves in lines of acrimony across our faces.

Summary

This quote suggests that hope is often the cause of our anger and bitterness. It explains that when our aspirations and dreams clash with the harsh realities of our lives, we experience intense disappointment, leading to resentment and discontentment. Whether it pertains to our careers, relationships, the future of our children, the actions of politicians, or the state of our planet, our hopeful expectations can result in a profound sense of disillusionment. This dissonance between lofty aspirations and harsh realities is said to shape our experiences, causing them to be marked by frustration and acrimony.

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