--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When bitterness and emptiness are all…" description: "\"“When bitterness and emptiness are all that remains, a person tends to hold on to them with both hands.”\" — John Mulhall" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d7/john-mulhall-46074_anger_when-bitterness-and-emptiness-are-all-th_608913.jpg" --- # When bitterness and emptiness are all that remains, a… ![“When bitterness and emptiness are all that remains, a person tends to hold on to them with both hands.” quote by John Mulhall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d7/john-mulhall-46074_anger_when-bitterness-and-emptiness-are-all-th_608913.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d7/john-mulhall-46074_anger_when-bitterness-and-emptiness-are-all-th_608913.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d7/john-mulhall-46074_anger_when-bitterness-and-emptiness-are-all-th_608913.jpg) > ““When bitterness and emptiness are all that remains, a person tends to hold on to them with both hands.”” [John Mulhall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mulhall/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. When bitterness and emptiness dominate, a person clings tightly to those feelings, unable to let go. **In simple terms:** People hold onto bitterness and emptiness when they dominate their mind Key Takeaway Release negative emotions to move forward Themes pain emptiness attachment Mood somber reflective Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - Coping with loss - overcoming resentment - mental health therapy - spiritual practice Key Concepts Psychology of grief emotional resilience mindfulness Questions to Reflect On - What does holding onto pain protect? - How can one gently release emptiness? A Different Perspective Letting go can be painful and may feel like loss of identity ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Anger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anger/) [Bitterness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bitterness/) [Bitterness Emptiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bitterness-emptiness-4949232/) [Hands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hands/) [Hold Hands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hold-hands/) [Person Tends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/person-tends-1252071/) ## Related quotes > [“A person tends to believe whatever is repeated over and over, whether it is true or not.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-sex/a-person-tends-to-believe-whatever-is-repeated-over-and-over-whether/) [Nikki Sex](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-sex/) > [I know for me personally, I'm a person that tends to pull back from the people that love me when I'm going through something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiki-layne/i-know-for-me-personally-i-m-a-person-that-tends-to-pull-back-from/) [KiKi Layne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiki-layne/) > [Temporary anger is okay, but permanent anger will make you bitter and ruin your chance at happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-parker/temporary-anger-is-okay-but-permanent-anger-will-make-you-bitter-and/) [Sonya Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonya-parker/) > [Those who cannot work with their hearts achieve but a hollow, half-hearted success that breeds bitterness all around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/those-who-cannot-work-with-their-hearts-achieve-but-a-hollow-half/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Money brings jealousy and bitterness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-taylor/money-brings-jealousy-and-bitterness/) [Phil Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-taylor/) > [If you succumb to the temptation of using violence in the struggle, unborn generations will be the recipients of a long and desolate night…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/if-you-succumb-to-the-temptation-of-using-violence-in-the-struggle/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [“When anything in life is an absolute requirement for your happiness and self-worth, it is essentially an ‘idol,’ something you are actually worshiping. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/when-anything-in-life-is-an-absolute-requirement-for-your-happiness/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [Gratitude is the antidote to bitterness and resentment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-j-ryan/gratitude-is-the-antidote-to-bitterness-and-resentment/) [M. J. Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-j-ryan/) > [“You can't just sit there hating the wound, Tan, or indulging in bitterness. Whatever you become in life, always ask yourself, am I making…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-d-o-brien/you-can-t-just-sit-there-hating-the-wound-tan-or-indulging-in/) [Michael D. 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You must not be bitter. Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host. It doesn't do anything to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/you-should-be-angry-you-must-not-be-bitter-bitterness-is-like-cancer/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) ## More by John Mulhall > [“Sometimes loneliness itself can be the food our souls desire.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mulhall/sometimes-loneliness-itself-can-be-the-food-our-souls-desire/) [John Mulhall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mulhall/) > [“Dreams are just another facet of our existence. Another plane in which to dwell.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mulhall/dreams-are-just-another-facet-of-our-existence-another-plane-in-which/) [John Mulhall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mulhall/) > [“There's fear behind all bravery. Lest it be simply stupidity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mulhall/there-s-fear-behind-all-bravery-lest-it-be-simply-stupidity/) [John Mulhall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mulhall/) > [“The greatest gift you can give someone is your time. 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I bet you over and let one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/god-you-had-enough-time-to-have-been-through-it-three-times-you-ve/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [The present contains nothing more than the past, and what is found in the effect was already in the cause.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-bergson/the-present-contains-nothing-more-than-the-past-and-what-is-found-in/) [Henri Bergson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-bergson/) > [Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/depression-is-merely-anger-without-enthusiasm/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) > [I always fight better when my opponent's angry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-haye/i-always-fight-better-when-my-opponent-s-angry/) [David Haye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-haye/) > [ “Where there are kashays (anger-pride-deceit-greed), there is worldly life. As long as anger-pride-deceit-greed exist; one is a sansaari \[living a worldly life\] regardless of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/where-there-are-kashays-anger-pride-deceit-greed-there-is-worldly/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) [Browse all 7,469 Anger quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anger/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“When bitterness and emptiness are all that remains, a person tends to hold on to them with both hands.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Mulhall" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mulhall/when-bitterness-and-emptiness-are-all-that-remains-a-person-tends-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Anger" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mulhall/when-bitterness-and-emptiness-are-all-that-remains-a-person-tends-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d7/john-mulhall-46074_anger_when-bitterness-and-emptiness-are-all-th_608913.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d7/john-mulhall-46074_anger_when-bitterness-and-emptiness-are-all-th_608913.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d7/john-mulhall-46074_anger_when-bitterness-and-emptiness-are-all-th_608913.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When bitterness and emptiness are all that remains, a person tends to hold on to them with both hands.” — John Mulhall", "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": "John Mulhall", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mulhall/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“When bitterness and emptiness are all...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mulhall/when-bitterness-and-emptiness-are-all-that-remains-a-person-tends-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mulhall/when-bitterness-and-emptiness-are-all-that-remains-a-person-tends-to/#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 } } ] } ```