--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Despair is the price one pays for setting…" description: "\"Despair is the price one pays for setting oneself an impossible aim. It is, one is told, the unforgivable sin, but it is a sin the corrupt or evil man ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad9/graham-greene-441_despair_despair-is-the-price-one-pays-for-settin_13639.jpg" --- # Despair is the price one pays for setting oneself an… ![“Despair is the price one pays for setting oneself an impossible aim. It is, one is told, the unforgivable sin, but it is a sin the corrupt or evil man never practices. He always has hope. He never reaches the freezing-point of knowing absolute failur” quote by Graham Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad9/graham-greene-441_despair_despair-is-the-price-one-pays-for-settin_13639.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad9/graham-greene-441_despair_despair-is-the-price-one-pays-for-settin_13639.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad9/graham-greene-441_despair_despair-is-the-price-one-pays-for-settin_13639.jpg) > “Despair is the price one pays for setting oneself an impossible aim. It is, one is told, the unforgivable sin, but it is a sin the corrupt or evil man never practices. He always has hope. He never reaches the freezing-point of knowing absolute failur” [Graham Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-greene/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Despair arises when we set unattainable goals, yet those who are corrupt never truly hope, avoiding the deep realization of inevitable failure. **In simple terms:** Unattainable goals cause despair; corrupt lack true hope. Key Takeaway Impossible aims breed despair, but hope is absent in the corrupt. Themes existentialism human nature ambition hope failure Mood melancholic reflective cautious Type philosophical motivational cautionary When to use this quote - setting unrealistic personal goals - leadership with overreaching vision - creative projects with impossible deadlines - political movements demanding utopia Key Concepts psychology of aspiration moral philosophy self-deception Practical Applications - counseling for realistic goal setting - leadership training on vision vs. feasibility Questions to Reflect On - What limits should we set for our ambitions? - How does hope differ between ethical and unethical individuals? A Different Perspective Some argue that even corrupt individuals experience despair when confronted with inevitable failure, contradicting the claim they never know absolute failure. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Despair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/despair/) [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Evil man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil-man/) [Unforgivable sin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unforgivable-sin/) ## Related quotes > [Despair is the price one pays for setting oneself an impossible aim. 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Love happens to us; it isn't created.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-greene/but-we-do-not-love-people-for-what-they-do-for-us-love-happens-to-us/) [Graham Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-greene/) > [Perhaps the sexual life is the great test. If we can survive it with charity to those we love and with affection to those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-greene/perhaps-the-sexual-life-is-the-great-test-if-we-can-survive-it-with/) [Graham Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-greene/) [Explore all 550 Graham Greene quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-greene/) ## More Despair quotes > [“As ofttimes as it rains on my little spot of earth, you'd think I'd grow accustomed to the gloom.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/as-ofttimes-as-it-rains-on-my-little-spot-of-earth-you-d-think-i-d/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [“She searched her mind for a single day when it had felt good to be alive. 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It caused me nothing but sorrow. No need for another tomorrow. In your heart, I will never be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louaiq8/enough-for-this-bow-arrow-it-caused-me-nothing-but-sorrow-no-need-for/) Louaiq8 > [True repentance never leads to despair. Its leads home. 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