--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: the most common type of pessimism is…" description: "\"the most common type of pessimism is neither philosophical nor religious: it is the pessimism of thwarted desire. ... It is the cynical sneer of the ma..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/183/georgia-harkness-21903_ashes_the-most-common-type-of-pessimism-is-nei_684322.jpg" --- # the most common type of pessimism is neither philosophical… ![“the most common type of pessimism is neither philosophical nor religious: it is the pessimism of thwarted desire. ... It is the cynical sneer of the man who, seeking roses, finds only ashes.” quote by Georgia Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/183/georgia-harkness-21903_ashes_the-most-common-type-of-pessimism-is-nei_684322.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/183/georgia-harkness-21903_ashes_the-most-common-type-of-pessimism-is-nei_684322.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/183/georgia-harkness-21903_ashes_the-most-common-type-of-pessimism-is-nei_684322.jpg) > “the most common type of pessimism is neither philosophical nor religious: it is the pessimism of thwarted desire. ... It is the cynical sneer of the man who, seeking roses, finds only ashes.” [Georgia Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgia-harkness/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Pessimism often stems from unfulfilled desires, not philosophy or religion; it is a cynical response to unmet expectations. **In simple terms:** Unmet desires cause cynical pessimism. Key Takeaway Address underlying desires to reduce cynicism. Themes philosophy psychology desire pessimism Mood thoughtful analytical Type philosophical psychological When to use this quote - counseling - goal clarification - mindfulness - creative pursuits Key Concepts cynicism unfulfilled longing Questions to Reflect On - What desires drive your pessimistic thoughts? - How can you reframe unmet expectations constructively? A Different Perspective Focusing solely on desire may overlook structural factors influencing outcomes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ashes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ashes/) [Cynical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cynical/) [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Pessimism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pessimism/) [Philosophical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophical/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious/) [Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rose/) ## Related quotes > [“The benefits of a philosophy of neo-religious pessimism are nowhere more apparent than in relation to marriage, one of modern society’s most grief-stricken arrangements,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/the-benefits-of-a-philosophy-of-neo-religious-pessimism-are-nowhere/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) > [The press frequently sneers at the hype devoted to a superstar, but the press itself is responsible for all the hype.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beverly-sills/the-press-frequently-sneers-at-the-hype-devoted-to-a-superstar-but/) [Beverly Sills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beverly-sills/) > [She is not old, she is not young, The Woman with the Serpent's Tongue. The haggard cheek, the hungering eye, The poisoned words that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-watson/she-is-not-old-she-is-not-young-the-woman-with-the-serpent-s-tongue/) [William Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-watson/) > [I, with other Americans, have perhaps unduly resented the stream of criticism of American life... more particularly have I resented the sneers at Main…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/i-with-other-americans-have-perhaps-unduly-resented-the-stream-of/) [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) > [My general theory since 1971 has been that the word is literally a virus, and that it has not been recognized as such because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/my-general-theory-since-1971-has-been-that-the-word-is-literally-a/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [It is the custom to sneer at the modern apartment-house, television, big-city Christmas, with its commercial taint . . . office parties, artificial .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-gallico/it-is-the-custom-to-sneer-at-the-modern-apartment-house-television/) [Paul Gallico](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-gallico/) > [I have often thought how strange it is that men can at once and the same moment cheerfully consign our sex to lives either…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-power-cobbe/i-have-often-thought-how-strange-it-is-that-men-can-at-once-and-the/) [Frances Power Cobbe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-power-cobbe/) > [Pastor Veronica told the story of a sparrow lying in the street with its legs straight up in the air, straining. a warhorse walks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/pastor-veronica-told-the-story-of-a-sparrow-lying-in-the-street-with/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [I mean, you're right about the fire and war, all that. But that Rapture stuff--well, if you could see them all in Heaven--serried ranks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/i-mean-you-re-right-about-the-fire-and-war-all-that-but-that-rapture/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [the pyramids were built for pharaohs on the happy theory that they could take their stuff with them. Versailles was built for kings on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-ivins/the-pyramids-were-built-for-pharaohs-on-the-happy-theory-that-they/) [Molly Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-ivins/) > [As anyone who has the slightest knowledge of my work knows, I have little in common with Larkin, who was tall, taciturn and thin-on-top,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-ann-duffy/as-anyone-who-has-the-slightest-knowledge-of-my-work-knows-i-have/) [Carol Ann Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-ann-duffy/) > [My sister stood up, trembling, and I must admit that I expected her familiar sneer to have taken its usual place on her face.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-robert-lennon/my-sister-stood-up-trembling-and-i-must-admit-that-i-expected-her/) [J. Robert Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-robert-lennon/) > [To be original is to discover the commonplace of a thousand years--to face at first the sneer that no one would have thought of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-stanley-lee/to-be-original-is-to-discover-the-commonplace-of-a-thousand-years-to/) [Gerald Stanley Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-stanley-lee/) > [The trouble is. . .that everybody sneers at restrictions and demands freedom, till something annoying happens; then they demand angrily what has become of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/the-trouble-is-that-everybody-sneers-at-restrictions-and-demands/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [So often do you see collegians enter life with high resolve and lofty purpose and then watch them shrink and shrink to sordid, selfish,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/so-often-do-you-see-collegians-enter-life-with-high-resolve-and-lofty/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) ## More by Georgia Harkness > [To discover, or recover, the sense of religious certainty one must worship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgia-harkness/to-discover-or-recover-the-sense-of-religious-certainty-one-must/) [Georgia Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgia-harkness/) > [... we all know how to pray better than we practice what we know!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgia-harkness/we-all-know-how-to-pray-better-than-we-practice-what-we-know/) [Georgia Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgia-harkness/) > [Life is a continual alternation of rest and action, of the need of comfort and the need of power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgia-harkness/life-is-a-continual-alternation-of-rest-and-action-of-the-need-of/) [Georgia Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgia-harkness/) > [The sooner the doctrine of original sin disappears, the better it is for theology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgia-harkness/the-sooner-the-doctrine-of-original-sin-disappears-the-better-it-is/) [Georgia Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgia-harkness/) > [the truth is seldom found in extremes. Central truths can be revolutionary if put to work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgia-harkness/the-truth-is-seldom-found-in-extremes-central-truths-can-be/) [Georgia Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgia-harkness/) > [The perpetual danger which besets religion is that it may substitute gentility and aestheticism for prophetic insight and power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgia-harkness/the-perpetual-danger-which-besets-religion-is-that-it-may-substitute/) [Georgia Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgia-harkness/) > [churches, like all the rest of our major institutions, are rooted in capitalism. For a church to attack capitalism is to 'bite the hand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgia-harkness/churches-like-all-the-rest-of-our-major-institutions-are-rooted-in/) [Georgia Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgia-harkness/) > [One can be coerced to church, but not to worship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgia-harkness/one-can-be-coerced-to-church-but-not-to-worship/) [Georgia Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgia-harkness/) > [while religion is ethical, it by no means follows that ethics is religion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgia-harkness/while-religion-is-ethical-it-by-no-means-follows-that-ethics-is/) [Georgia Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgia-harkness/) > [The great danger is that in the confession of any collective sin, one shall confess the sins of others and forget our own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgia-harkness/the-great-danger-is-that-in-the-confession-of-any-collective-sin-one/) [Georgia Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgia-harkness/) > [religion is perhaps its own worst enemy. For religion, masquerading under the guise of archaic creeds, and impossible literalisms, and ecclesiasticism indifferent to human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgia-harkness/religion-is-perhaps-its-own-worst-enemy-for-religion-masquerading/) [Georgia Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgia-harkness/) > [Nature, left to itself, defeats nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgia-harkness/nature-left-to-itself-defeats-nature/) [Georgia Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgia-harkness/) > [love is always in danger of being sentimentalized.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgia-harkness/love-is-always-in-danger-of-being-sentimentalized/) [Georgia Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgia-harkness/) > [To keep God at the center of one's life requires frequent renewal of power through prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgia-harkness/to-keep-god-at-the-center-of-one-s-life-requires-frequent-renewal-of/) [Georgia Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgia-harkness/) > [Prayer is essentially a process by which ideals are enabled to become operative in our lives. It may be more than this, but it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgia-harkness/prayer-is-essentially-a-process-by-which-ideals-are-enabled-to-become/) [Georgia Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgia-harkness/) [Explore all 28 Georgia Harkness quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgia-harkness/) ## More Ashes quotes > [You can flush my ashes down the toilet, for all I care.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-can-flush-my-ashes-down-the-toilet-for-all-i-care/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/all-that-is-gold-does-not-glitter-not-all-those-who-wander-are-lost/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I don't want to have a gravestone. I want to have all my friends burn me and then snort the ashes. I think that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-manson/i-don-t-want-to-have-a-gravestone-i-want-to-have-all-my-friends-burn/) [Marilyn Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-manson/) > [You know how this is: if I look at the crystal moon, at the red branch of the slow autumn at my window, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-neruda/you-know-how-this-is-if-i-look-at-the-crystal-moon-at-the-red-branch/) [Pablo Neruda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-neruda/) > [He said that he will never let you cry,he will always be there for you no matter how hard the situation is,that he will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zhra/he-said-that-he-will-never-let-you-cry-he-will-always-be-there-for/) Zhra > [“The past is to be learned from but not lived in. We look back to claim the embers from glowing experiences but not the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-past-is-to-be-learned-from-but-not-lived-in-we-look-back-to-claim/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [Much can they praise the trees so straight and high, The sailing pine,the cedar proud and tall, The vine-prop elm, the poplar never dry,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-spenser/much-can-they-praise-the-trees-so-straight-and-high-the-sailing-pine/) [Edmund Spenser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-spenser/) > [When any civilization is dust and ashes," he said, "art is all that's left over. Images, words, music. Imaginative structures. Meaning—human meaning, that is—is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/when-any-civilization-is-dust-and-ashes-he-said-art-is-all-that-s/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [Man is a noble animal, splendid in ashes, and pompous in the grave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-browne/man-is-a-noble-animal-splendid-in-ashes-and-pompous-in-the-grave/) [Thomas Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-browne/) > [“Bury us, and mark our names above. Let us be free.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-miller/bury-us-and-mark-our-names-above-let-us-be-free/) [Madeline Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-miller/) > [There is nothing quite like an Ashes trip Down Under.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-anderson/there-is-nothing-quite-like-an-ashes-trip-down-under/) [James Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-anderson/) > [I think momentum is huge in sport, especially in a series like the Ashes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-stokes/i-think-momentum-is-huge-in-sport-especially-in-a-series-like-the/) [Ben Stokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-stokes/) > [Mark how fleeting and paltry is the estate of man-yesterday in embryo, tomorrow a mummy or ashes. So for the hairsbreadth of time assigned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/mark-how-fleeting-and-paltry-is-the-estate-of-man-yesterday-in-embryo/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [“When you burn a bridge, you have to be prepared to live with some ashes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-coppernoll/when-you-burn-a-bridge-you-have-to-be-prepared-to-live-with-some-ashes/) [Chris Coppernoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-coppernoll/) > [I would rather be ashes than dust.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-london/i-would-rather-be-ashes-than-dust/) [Jack London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-london/) [Browse all 900 Ashes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ashes/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "the most common type of pessimism is neither philosophical nor religious: it is the pessimism of thwarted desire. ... 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