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When people complain of life, it is almost always because they have asked impossible things of it.
Ernest Renan
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Interpretation

What this quote means

People often feel dissatisfied with life when they set unrealistic expectations.

This quote by Ernest Renan suggests that dissatisfaction with life frequently arises from unrealistic demands or expectations placed upon it. When individuals expect too much from their circumstances or life itself, they are likely to encounter disappointment and frustration, leading to complaints about their experiences.

Themes

ExpectationsSatisfactionLifeComplaintsDissatisfaction

In practice

Example use cases

This quote could be used in a motivational speech about the importance of realistic goal-setting.

More from Ernest Renan

None of the miracles with which ancient histories are filled, occurred under scientific conditions. Observation never once contradicted, teaches us that miracles occur only in periods and countries in which they are believed in and before persons disposed to believe in them.
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Man makes holy what he believes as he makes beautiful what he loves.
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Forgetfulness, and I would even say historical error, are essential in the creation of a nation.
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He whom God has touched will always be a being apart: he is, whatever he may do, a stranger among men; he is marked by a sign.
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Let us remember that sorrow alone is the creator of great things.
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The talent of historians lies in their creating a true ensemble out of facts which are but half true.
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