--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When people complain of life, it is…" description: "\"When people complain of life, it is almost always because they have asked impossible things of it.\" — Ernest Renan" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de1/ernest-renan-11034_complaining_when-people-complain-of-life-it-is-almos_1737430.jpg" --- # When people complain of life, it is almost always because… ![“When people complain of life, it is almost always because they have asked impossible things of it.” quote by Ernest Renan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de1/ernest-renan-11034_complaining_when-people-complain-of-life-it-is-almos_1737430.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de1/ernest-renan-11034_complaining_when-people-complain-of-life-it-is-almos_1737430.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de1/ernest-renan-11034_complaining_when-people-complain-of-life-it-is-almos_1737430.jpg) > “When people complain of life, it is almost always because they have asked impossible things of it.” [Ernest Renan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-renan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People often feel dissatisfied because they demand unattainable outcomes from existence. **In simple terms:** Unrealistic expectations cause complaints. Key Takeaway Adjust expectations to realistic limits. Themes expectations contentment human nature Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal goals - career planning - relationship expectations - health goals Key Concepts philosophy psychology existentialism Questions to Reflect On - What expectations are you holding that may be impossible? - How can you reframe goals to be attainable? A Different Perspective Even realistic goals can be challenging to achieve. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Asked Impossible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asked-impossible-1488702/) [Complain Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complain-life-744299/) [Complaining](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complaining/) [Impossible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impossible/) [Impossible things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impossible-things/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life Asked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-asked-513537/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Complain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-complain/) ## Related quotes > [People complain that life is short,for me it seems very long.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alija-izetbegovic/people-complain-that-life-is-short-for-me-it-seems-very-long/) [Alija Izetbegovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alija-izetbegovic/) > [People that complain about life, complicates everything](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/courtney-hayward/people-that-complain-about-life-complicates-everything/) [Courtney Hayward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/courtney-hayward/) > [“Have you ever boogied on a moon beam or drank wine from a rainbow?” she asked. “Well… now you can. I’m everything impossible and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lloyd-poast/have-you-ever-boogied-on-a-moon-beam-or-drank-wine-from-a-rainbow-she/) [Lloyd Poast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lloyd-poast/) > [“I didn’t know how to tell her that the questions she’d asked were impossible to answer. So instead, I settled for telling the last…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-paige/i-didn-t-know-how-to-tell-her-that-the-questions-she-d-asked-were/) [Danielle Paige](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-paige/) > [“You asked the impossible of a machine and the machine complied.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut-jr/you-asked-the-impossible-of-a-machine-and-the-machine-complied/) [Kurt Vonnegut Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut-jr/) > [No matter how discouraged we get, God has not asked us to do the impossible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/no-matter-how-discouraged-we-get-god-has-not-asked-us-to-do-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I complain about my life. I used to complain about boys or not being able to drive or failing a test. Now I complain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabourey-sidibe/i-complain-about-my-life-i-used-to-complain-about-boys-or-not-being/) [Gabourey Sidibe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabourey-sidibe/) > [This is the reason we cannot complain of life: it keeps no one against his will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/this-is-the-reason-we-cannot-complain-of-life-it-keeps-no-one-against/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [Most people would rather complain about some painful life pattern than dare to meet the level of their own consciousness responsible for its repeated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-finley/most-people-would-rather-complain-about-some-painful-life-pattern/) [Guy Finley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-finley/) > [Some people complain there are too many people on earth, Some people complain about secret societies, Some people accuse others of not being able…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dejan-stojanovic/some-people-complain-there-are-too-many-people-on-earth-some-people/) [Dejan Stojanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dejan-stojanovic/) > [People complain about the bad things that happen to em that they don't deserve but they seldom mention the good. About what they done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/people-complain-about-the-bad-things-that-happen-to-em-that-they-don/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [One of the things that people complain about is loneliness, disconnectedness. If you live in a society where your life is rarely threatened and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/one-of-the-things-that-people-complain-about-is-loneliness/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [Some people complain that they will not live forever, but cannot think of things to do on a wet Sunday afternoon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ward/some-people-complain-that-they-will-not-live-forever-but-cannot-think/) [Keith Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-ward/) > [“People complain the president does nothing. I say stop complaining! Think how destructive he’d be if he actually tried to do something.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/people-complain-the-president-does-nothing-i-say-stop-complaining/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [You shouldn't get to live in society and give nothing back. People complain about their taxes, yet they do nothing for the community. That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-turner/you-shouldn-t-get-to-live-in-society-and-give-nothing-back-people/) [Kathleen Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-turner/) ## More by Ernest Renan > [The prayer of the agnostic: "O God, if there is a God, save my soul if I have a soul."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-renan/the-prayer-of-the-agnostic-o-god-if-there-is-a-god-save-my-soul-if-i/) [Ernest Renan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-renan/) > [The epic disappeared along with the age of personal heroism; there can be no epic with artillery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-renan/the-epic-disappeared-along-with-the-age-of-personal-heroism-there-can/) [Ernest Renan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-renan/) > [Muslims are the first victims of Islam. To liberate a Muslim from his religion is the best service that one can render him!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-renan/muslims-are-the-first-victims-of-islam-to-liberate-a-muslim-from-his/) [Ernest Renan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-renan/) > [It is evident, indeed, that such a doctrine, taken by itself in a literal manner, had no future. The world, in continuing to exist,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-renan/it-is-evident-indeed-that-such-a-doctrine-taken-by-itself-in-a/) [Ernest Renan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-renan/) > [A nation is a body of people who have done great things together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-renan/a-nation-is-a-body-of-people-who-have-done-great-things-together/) [Ernest Renan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-renan/) > [Man is not on this earth merely to be happy, or even to be simply honest. He is there to realize great things for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-renan/man-is-not-on-this-earth-merely-to-be-happy-or-even-to-be-simply/) [Ernest Renan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-renan/) > [To have common glories in the past, a common will in the present; to have done great things together; to wish to do greater;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-renan/to-have-common-glories-in-the-past-a-common-will-in-the-present-to/) [Ernest Renan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-renan/) > [“To have done great things together, to want to do more, such are the essential conditions to form a people. . . . Man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-renan/to-have-done-great-things-together-to-want-to-do-more-such-are-the/) [Ernest Renan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-renan/) > [As a rule, all heroism is due to a lack of reflection, and thus it is necessary to maintain a mass of imbeciles. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-renan/as-a-rule-all-heroism-is-due-to-a-lack-of-reflection-and-thus-it-is/) [Ernest Renan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-renan/none-of-the-miracles-with-which-ancient-histories-are-filled-occurred/) [Ernest Renan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-renan/) > [I can die when I wish to: that is my elixir of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-renan/i-can-die-when-i-wish-to-that-is-my-elixir-of-life/) [Ernest Renan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-renan/) > [“Islam has been liberal when it has been weak and violent when it has been strong.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-renan/islam-has-been-liberal-when-it-has-been-weak-and-violent-when-it-has/) [Ernest Renan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-renan/) > [“What is human life? Is it not a maimed happiness—care and weariness, weariness and care, with the baseless expectation...of a brighter tomorrow?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-renan/what-is-human-life-is-it-not-a-maimed-happiness-care-and-weariness/) [Ernest Renan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-renan/) > [Man makes holy what he believes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-renan/man-makes-holy-what-he-believes/) [Ernest Renan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-renan/) > [“Woe to him who becomes useless to human progress!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-renan/woe-to-him-who-becomes-useless-to-human-progress/) [Ernest Renan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-renan/) [Explore all 62 Ernest Renan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-renan/) ## More Complaining quotes > [And you can't complain about kissing Emma Watson. Isn't that what everyone in the world wants to do? I've known Emma for a few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-redmayne/and-you-can-t-complain-about-kissing-emma-watson-isn-t-that-what/) [Eddie Redmayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-redmayne/) > [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [People who are complaining about the Fed are people who've been predicting runaway inflation for five and six years, and it hasn't happened.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-krugman/people-who-are-complaining-about-the-fed-are-people-who-ve-been/) [Paul Krugman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-krugman/) > [The one thing I absolutely hate about social media are the people who abuse it. Whenever I see a person who constantly posts negative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jazmin-garcia/the-one-thing-i-absolutely-hate-about-social-media-are-the-people-who/) [Jazmin Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jazmin-garcia/) > [They have no right to complain! If women were cool with knowing their man is cheating on them then they have no right to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-williams/they-have-no-right-to-complain-if-women-were-cool-with-knowing-their/) [Eric Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-williams/) > [“Don't wait, just sweat.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/don-t-wait-just-sweat/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [Do not complain of life's unfairness. It is never fair - at best it is impartial.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gemmell/do-not-complain-of-life-s-unfairness-it-is-never-fair-at-best-it-is/) [David Gemmell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gemmell/) > [But if people will laugh at my work and keep a sound roof over my head, who am I to complain?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billie-burke/but-if-people-will-laugh-at-my-work-and-keep-a-sound-roof-over-my/) [Billie Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billie-burke/) > [I think we need to talk about mental illness a lot more. People complain about tax dollars and say we don't have the money.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nia-long/i-think-we-need-to-talk-about-mental-illness-a-lot-more-people/) [Nia Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nia-long/) > [Instead of complaining about your circumstances, get busy creating new ones. You either suffer the pain of discipline or the pain of regret.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/instead-of-complaining-about-your-circumstances-get-busy-creating-new/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [To become a celebrity is to become a brand name. There is Ivory Soap, Rice Krispies, and Philip Roth. Ivory is the soap that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/to-become-a-celebrity-is-to-become-a-brand-name-there-is-ivory-soap/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) > [You shouldn't get to live in society and give nothing back. People complain about their taxes, yet they do nothing for the community. That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-turner/you-shouldn-t-get-to-live-in-society-and-give-nothing-back-people/) [Kathleen Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-turner/) > [I was so drunk last night I fell down and missed the floor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-martin/i-was-so-drunk-last-night-i-fell-down-and-missed-the-floor/) [Dean Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-martin/) > [Once the war began, the government could do anything 'necessary' to win it; so it was with the 'final solution of the Jewish problem,'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-mayer/once-the-war-began-the-government-could-do-anything-necessary-to-win/) [Milton Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-mayer/) > [I'll tell you that the dog whistle politics is badly missing the mark. Because, you know, as I've been speaking about it, sure, I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naheed-nenshi/i-ll-tell-you-that-the-dog-whistle-politics-is-badly-missing-the-mark/) [Naheed Nenshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naheed-nenshi/) [Browse all 1,994 Complaining quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complaining/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When people complain of life, it is almost always because they have asked impossible things of it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ernest Renan" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-renan/when-people-complain-of-life-it-is-almost-always-because-they-have/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Complaining" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-renan/when-people-complain-of-life-it-is-almost-always-because-they-have/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de1/ernest-renan-11034_complaining_when-people-complain-of-life-it-is-almos_1737430.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de1/ernest-renan-11034_complaining_when-people-complain-of-life-it-is-almos_1737430.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de1/ernest-renan-11034_complaining_when-people-complain-of-life-it-is-almos_1737430.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When people complain of life, it is almost always because they have asked impossible things of it.” — Ernest Renan", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Ernest Renan", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-renan/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When people complain of life, it...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-renan/when-people-complain-of-life-it-is-almost-always-because-they-have/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-renan/when-people-complain-of-life-it-is-almost-always-because-they-have/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```