Cyprus Quote by Christopher Hitchens
![“[T]hose who willed the means and wished the ends are not absolved from guilt by the refusal of reality to match their schemes.” quote by Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/967/christopher-hitchens-117_cyprus_t-hose-who-willed-the-means-and-wished-t_1806951.jpg)
““[T]hose who willed the means and wished the ends are not absolved from guilt by the refusal of reality to match their schemes.””
About This Quote
Source Book: God Is Not Great, Christopher Hitchens, 2007
People who create unrealistic plans and then blame reality for not fitting them remain morally responsible for the outcomes.
In simple terms: Unrealistic schemes don’t excuse guilt.
Key Takeaway
Accept responsibility for your expectations.
Themes
responsibility
ethics
planning
Mood
reflective
critical
Type
philosophical
ethical
When to use this quote
- business strategy
- political policy
- personal relationships
- project management
Key Concepts
moral accountability
cognitive bias
Questions to Reflect On
- Do you ever blame reality for your failures?
- How can you align expectations with reality?
A Different Perspective
It ignores external constraints that can be genuinely unforeseeable.
![“It's [Los Angeles] mostly full of nonsense and delusion and egomania. They think they'll be young and beautiful forever, even though most of them aren't even young and beautiful now.” quote by Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a86/christopher-hitchens-117_beautiful_it-s-los-angeles-mostly-full-of-nonsense_10462.jpg)
![“[Religion] attacks us in our deepest integrity - the core of our self-respect. Religion says that we would not know right from wrong, we would not know an evil, wicked act from a decent human act without divine permission, without divine authority or without, even worse, either the fear of a…” quote by Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ab6/christopher-hitchens-117_action_religion-attacks-us-in-our-deepest-integ_23299.jpg)
