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There is no truer cause of unhappiness amongst men than, where naturally expecting charity and benevolence, they receive harm and vexation.
Francois Rabelais
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Expecting kindness and receiving harm leads to unhappiness.

This quote highlights the profound disappointment and distress that can arise when individuals anticipate goodwill and compassion from others, only to be met with negativity or malice instead. Rabelais suggests that such unmet expectations can be a significant source of anguish in human relationships, underscoring the importance of managing our expectations about the behavior of others.

Themes

ExpectationUnhappinessCharityBenevolenceRelationships

In practice

Example use cases

During a speech about interpersonal relationships, one might highlight this quote to emphasize the importance of managing expectations.

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