--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Maturity is a bitter disappointment for…" description: "\"Maturity is a bitter disappointment for which no remedy exists, unless laughter could be said to remedy anything.\" — Kurt Vonnegut" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/350/kurt-vonnegut-41_aging_maturity-is-a-bitter-disappointment-for_2679930.jpg" --- # Maturity is a bitter disappointment for which no remedy… ![“Maturity is a bitter disappointment for which no remedy exists, unless laughter could be said to remedy anything.” quote by Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/350/kurt-vonnegut-41_aging_maturity-is-a-bitter-disappointment-for_2679930.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/350/kurt-vonnegut-41_aging_maturity-is-a-bitter-disappointment-for_2679930.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/350/kurt-vonnegut-41_aging_maturity-is-a-bitter-disappointment-for_2679930.jpg) > “Maturity is a bitter disappointment for which no remedy exists, unless laughter could be said to remedy anything.” [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Maturity often brings disillusionment, yet humor can serve as a coping mechanism. **In simple terms:** Maturity can be disappointing; humor helps. Key Takeaway Use laughter to ease bitterness. Themes growth disillusionment humor Mood wry reflective Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - midlife crises - career setbacks - relationship challenges - health struggles - creative blocks Key Concepts existentialism psychology resilience Questions to Reflect On - When does laughter become avoidance? - Can humor replace genuine healing? A Different Perspective Humor may mask deeper issues if overused. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Aging](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aging/) [Bitter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bitter/) [Bitter disappointment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bitter-disappointment/) [Disappointment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disappointment/) [Disappointment Remedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disappointment-remedy-2572389/) [Growing up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growing-up/) [Laughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laughter/) [Maturity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/maturity/) [Maturity Bitter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/maturity-bitter-2572387/) [Remedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remedy/) [Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said/) [Unless Laughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unless-laughter-2572388/) ## Related quotes > [Maturity is a bitter disappointment for which no remedy exists, unless laughter can be said to remedy anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/maturity-is-a-bitter-disappointment-for-which-no-remedy-exists-unless/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Maturity is a bitter disappointment for which no remedy exists.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/maturity-is-a-bitter-disappointment-for-which-no-remedy-exists/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Maturity,” Bokonon tells us, “is a bitter disappointment for which no remedy exists, unless laughter can be said to remedy anything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/maturity-bokonon-tells-us-is-a-bitter-disappointment-for-which-no-2/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Maturity, Bokonon tells us, is a bitter disappointment for which no remedy exists”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/maturity-bokonon-tells-us-is-a-bitter-disappointment-for-which-no/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Maturity...is knowing what your limitations are...Maturity is a bitter disappointment for which no remedy exists, unless laughter can be said to remedy anything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut-jr-2/maturity-is-knowing-what-your-limitations-are-maturity-is-a-bitter/) [Kurt Vonnegut, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut-jr-2/) > [The natural state of the football fan is bitter disappointment, no matter what the score.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hornby/the-natural-state-of-the-football-fan-is-bitter-disappointment-no/) [Nick Hornby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hornby/) > [Yes, yes, I know all the jokes. What else could I have expected at Highbury? But I went to Chelsea and to Tottenham and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hornby/yes-yes-i-know-all-the-jokes-what-else-could-i-have-expected-at/) [Nick Hornby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hornby/) > [Most people who make movies are in real life a bitter disappointment. I, on the other hand, am so much better in real life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlene-dietrich/most-people-who-make-movies-are-in-real-life-a-bitter-disappointment/) [Marlene Dietrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlene-dietrich/) > [You will find as the children grow up that as a rule children are a bitter disappointment - their greatest object being to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/queen-victoria/you-will-find-as-the-children-grow-up-that-as-a-rule-children-are-a/) [Queen Victoria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/queen-victoria/) > [Make some sacrifice for your art and you will be repaid, but ask of art to sacrifice herself for you and a bitter disappointment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/make-some-sacrifice-for-your-art-and-you-will-be-repaid-but-ask-of/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [It is a bitter disappointment when you have sown benefits, to reap injuries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plautus/it-is-a-bitter-disappointment-when-you-have-sown-benefits-to-reap/) [Plautus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plautus/) > [A life directed chiefly toward the fulfillment of personal desires will sooner or later always lead to bitter disappointment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/a-life-directed-chiefly-toward-the-fulfillment-of-personal-desires/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [In youth our most bitter disappointments, our brightest hopes and ambitions, are known only to ourselves. Even our friendship and love we never fully…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-cady-stanton/in-youth-our-most-bitter-disappointments-our-brightest-hopes-and/) [Elizabeth Cady Stanton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-cady-stanton/) > [Life has its pains and evils-its bitter disappointments; but like a good novel and in healthful length of days, there is infinite joy in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/life-has-its-pains-and-evils-its-bitter-disappointments-but-like-a/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) > [I can honestly say that I have never had a more bitter disappointment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-h-asquith/i-can-honestly-say-that-i-have-never-had-a-more-bitter-disappointment/) [H. H. Asquith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-h-asquith/) ## More by Kurt Vonnegut > [“You must bloom as a writer and I must bloom as a painter. Everything else about us is uninteresting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/you-must-bloom-as-a-writer-and-i-must-bloom-as-a-painter-everything/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“People aren't supposed to look back.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/people-aren-t-supposed-to-look-back/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Have a good nap, did you?” said the porter. “Yes,” said Billy. “Man,” said the porter, “you sure had a hard-on.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/have-a-good-nap-did-you-said-the-porter-yes-said-billy-man-said-the/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“I told him that if we doubted that we are demons in Hell, he should read The Mysterious Stranger, which Mark Twain wrote in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-told-him-that-if-we-doubted-that-we-are-demons-in-hell-he-should/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [ “Thomas Jefferson High School \[..\] His high school was named after a slave owner who was also one of the world’s greatest theoreticians on… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/thomas-jefferson-high-school-his-high-school-was-named-after-a-slave/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“I had a certain amount of skill as a dramatist, and Dr. Goebbels wanted me to use it”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-had-a-certain-amount-of-skill-as-a-dramatist-and-dr-goebbels-wanted/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [I was some of the mud that got to sit up and look around. Lucky me, lucky mud.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-was-some-of-the-mud-that-got-to-sit-up-and-look-around-lucky-me/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“The town was Newport, Rhode Island, U.S.A., Earth, Solar System, Milky Way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/the-town-was-newport-rhode-island-u-s-a-earth-solar-system-milky-way/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Her face was one of a kind, a surprising variation that made observers think, Yes--that would be another very nice way for people to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/her-face-was-one-of-a-kind-a-surprising-variation-that-made-observers/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“You finally fell in love, I see,” said Salo. “Only an Earthling year ago,” said Constant. “It took us that long to realize that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/you-finally-fell-in-love-i-see-said-salo-only-an-earthling-year-ago/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Like all Earthlings at the point of death, Mary Young sent faint reminders of herself to those who had known her. She released a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/like-all-earthlings-at-the-point-of-death-mary-young-sent-faint/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“And contrast Mary Kathleen, if you will, with my wife Ruth, the Ophelia of the death camps, who believed that even the most intelligent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/and-contrast-mary-kathleen-if-you-will-with-my-wife-ruth-the-ophelia/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [Someday, someday, this crazy world will have to end, And our God will take things back that He to us did lend. And if,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/someday-someday-this-crazy-world-will-have-to-end-and-our-god-will/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“They were going back to the slaughterhouse for souvenirs of the war.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/they-were-going-back-to-the-slaughterhouse-for-souvenirs-of-the-war/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“There are plenty of good reasons for fighting," I said, "but no good reason ever to hate without reservation, to imagine that God Almighty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/there-are-plenty-of-good-reasons-for-fighting-i-said-but-no-good/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) [Explore all 2,089 Kurt Vonnegut quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) ## More Aging quotes > [While we've youth in our hearts, we can never grow old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/while-we-ve-youth-in-our-hearts-we-can-never-grow-old/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [In the past 40 years, the United States lost more than a million farmers and ranchers. Many of our farmers are aging. Today, only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-vilsack/in-the-past-40-years-the-united-states-lost-more-than-a-million/) [Tom Vilsack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-vilsack/) > [We'll never be as young as we are tonight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/we-ll-never-be-as-young-as-we-are-tonight/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“Prayer of an Anonymous Abbess: Lord, thou knowest better than myself that I am growing older and will soon be old. Keep me from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/prayer-of-an-anonymous-abbess-lord-thou-knowest-better-than-myself/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The more I produce, the less I am certain. On the road along which the artist walks, night falls ever more densely. Finally, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/the-more-i-produce-the-less-i-am-certain-on-the-road-along-which-the/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [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/) > [Aging is like enlightenment at gunpoint. Before I had cancer, I lived my life for my art. After I had cancer, I lived my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-halprin/aging-is-like-enlightenment-at-gunpoint-before-i-had-cancer-i-lived/) [Anna Halprin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-halprin/) > [All the dangers in our world are like a blessed wake up call. They tell us to live life NOW... not tomorrow, not when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jeffers/all-the-dangers-in-our-world-are-like-a-blessed-wake-up-call-they/) [Susan Jeffers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jeffers/) > [“You could see the signs of female aging as diseased, especially if you had a vested interest in making women too see them your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wolf/you-could-see-the-signs-of-female-aging-as-diseased-especially-if-you/) [Naomi Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-wolf/) > [“It takes maturity to be able to laugh like a child again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moffat-machingura/it-takes-maturity-to-be-able-to-laugh-like-a-child-again/) [Moffat Machingura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moffat-machingura/) > [Seek ye counsel of the aged for their eyes have looked on the faces of the years and their ears have hardened to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/seek-ye-counsel-of-the-aged-for-their-eyes-have-looked-on-the-faces/) [Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/) > [Growing old-it's not nice, but it's interesting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-strindberg/growing-old-it-s-not-nice-but-it-s-interesting/) [August Strindberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-strindberg/) > [Anything is possible in the life of a man if he lives long enough. Even maturity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howell-raines/anything-is-possible-in-the-life-of-a-man-if-he-lives-long-enough/) [Howell Raines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howell-raines/) > [I just want to be Patty McCormack. I want to spend every year aging the way she has.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-varney/i-just-want-to-be-patty-mccormack-i-want-to-spend-every-year-aging/) [Janet Varney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-varney/) > [Maturity is reached the day we don't need to be lied to about anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-yerby/maturity-is-reached-the-day-we-don-t-need-to-be-lied-to-about-anything/) [Frank Yerby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-yerby/) [Browse all 2,792 Aging quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aging/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Maturity is a bitter disappointment for which no remedy exists, unless laughter could be said to remedy anything.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kurt Vonnegut" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/maturity-is-a-bitter-disappointment-for-which-no-remedy-exists-unless-2/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Aging" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/maturity-is-a-bitter-disappointment-for-which-no-remedy-exists-unless-2/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/350/kurt-vonnegut-41_aging_maturity-is-a-bitter-disappointment-for_2679930.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/350/kurt-vonnegut-41_aging_maturity-is-a-bitter-disappointment-for_2679930.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/350/kurt-vonnegut-41_aging_maturity-is-a-bitter-disappointment-for_2679930.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Maturity is a bitter disappointment for which no remedy exists, unless laughter could be said to remedy…” — Kurt Vonnegut", "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": "Kurt Vonnegut", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Maturity is a bitter disappointment for...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/maturity-is-a-bitter-disappointment-for-which-no-remedy-exists-unless-2/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/maturity-is-a-bitter-disappointment-for-which-no-remedy-exists-unless-2/#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 } } ] } ```