--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: How much misery…how much needless despair…" description: "\"“How much misery…how much needless despair has been caused by a series of biological mismatches, a misalignment of the hormones and pheromones? Resulti..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/920/margaret-atwood-40_free-choice_how-much-misery-how-much-needless-despai_2675670.jpg" --- # How much misery…how much needless despair has been caused… ![“How much misery…how much needless despair has been caused by a series of biological mismatches, a misalignment of the hormones and pheromones? Resulting in the fact that the one you love so passionately won’t or can’t love you. As a species we’re pathetic in that way: imperfectly monogamous. If…” quote by Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/920/margaret-atwood-40_free-choice_how-much-misery-how-much-needless-despai_2675670.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/920/margaret-atwood-40_free-choice_how-much-misery-how-much-needless-despai_2675670.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/920/margaret-atwood-40_free-choice_how-much-misery-how-much-needless-despai_2675670.jpg) > ““How much misery…how much needless despair has been caused by a series of biological mismatches, a misalignment of the hormones and pheromones? Resulting in the fact that the one you love so passionately won’t or can’t love you. As a species we’re pathetic in that way: imperfectly monogamous. If only we could pair-bond for life, like gibbons, or else opt for total-guilt free promiscuity, there’d be no more sexual torment. You’d never want someone you couldn’t have’ ‘…But think what we’d be giving up…we’d be human robots…there’d be no free choice.’ ‘…we’re human robots anyway, only we’re faulty ones.”” [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human sexual relationships are fraught with biological conflicts that cause suffering, and our monogamous instincts clash with evolutionary drives. **In simple terms:** Biology and love often conflict, causing pain. Key Takeaway Recognize and navigate biological influences on love. Themes love biology monogamy despair human nature Mood conflicted reflective thoughtful Type philosophical critical analytical When to use this quote - relationship counseling - personal reflection - sexual health education - creative writing Key Concepts evolutionary psychology attachment theory sexual selection Questions to Reflect On - How do cultural norms shape our romantic expectations? - Can we design relationships that honor both biology and freedom? A Different Perspective Biological determinism may oversimplify complex cultural factors. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Free choice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free-choice/) [Guilt free](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guilt-free/) [Promiscuity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/promiscuity/) ## Related quotes > [“As a species we’re pathetic in that way: imperfectly monogamous. If we could only pair-bond for life, like gibbons, or else opt for total…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/as-a-species-we-re-pathetic-in-that-way-imperfectly-monogamous-if-we/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [“How much needless despair has been caused by a series of biological mismatches, a misalignment of the hormones and pheromones? Resulting in the fact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/how-much-needless-despair-has-been-caused-by-a-series-of-biological-2/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [...how much needless despair has been caused by a series of biological mismatches, a misalignment of the hormones and pheromones? Resulting in the fact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/how-much-needless-despair-has-been-caused-by-a-series-of-biological/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [“You’re hurt,” she commented. And I care? Okay. It’s official. I’m my own species now: pathetic-deathwish-osaurus…I sooo hear extinction calling me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mimi-jean-pamfiloff/you-re-hurt-she-commented-and-i-care-okay-it-s-official-i-m-my-own/) [Mimi Jean Pamfiloff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mimi-jean-pamfiloff/) > [I have no particular love for my species, but own to an exhaustless fund of compassion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothea-dix/i-have-no-particular-love-for-my-species-but-own-to-an-exhaustless/) [Dorothea Dix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothea-dix/) > [If I succeed in loving you, I will be able to love everyone and all species on Earth... This is the real message of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nhat-hanh/if-i-succeed-in-loving-you-i-will-be-able-to-love-everyone-and-all/) [Nhat Hanh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nhat-hanh/) > [Fretting about overpopulation, is a perfect guilt-free— indeed, sanctimonious— way for progressives to be racists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/fretting-about-overpopulation-is-a-perfect-guilt-free-indeed/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [I will allow myself guilt-free time, because I don't do very often and it's allowed. It's healthy for your mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-willis/i-will-allow-myself-guilt-free-time-because-i-don-t-do-very-often-and/) [Emma Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-willis/) > [“I feel no guilt as I demolish some long-cherished no-fat rules along with the chicharrón. I’m not sure why I am guilt-free. 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(TILT-7 Solutions To Be A Guilt-free Working Mom)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marci-fair/balance-in-impossible-memories-are-better-tilt-7-solutions-to-be-a/) Marci Fair > [“Don’t feel guilty for a crime you have not committed – commit it and be guilt free”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-abraham/don-t-feel-guilty-for-a-crime-you-have-not-committed-commit-it-and-be/) [Amit Abraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-abraham/) > [“If the ambiance is right, you'll get your high on a mocktail in a cocktail glass, as it is a guilt-free drink.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tapan-ghosh/if-the-ambiance-is-right-you-ll-get-your-high-on-a-mocktail-in-a/) [Tapan Ghosh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tapan-ghosh/) > [By working hard, you get to play hard guilt-free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/by-working-hard-you-get-to-play-hard-guilt-free/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) ## More by Margaret Atwood > [“I'm fine," said Pilar, "for the moment. And the moment is the only time we can be fine in.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/i-m-fine-said-pilar-for-the-moment-and-the-moment-is-the-only-time-we/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [And yet it disturbs me to learn I have hurt someone unintentionally. I want all my hurts to be intentional.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/and-yet-it-disturbs-me-to-learn-i-have-hurt-someone-unintentionally-i/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [“Mary: Some call this "Eve's curse," but I think that is stupid because the real curse of Eve was having to put up with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/mary-some-call-this-eve-s-curse-but-i-think-that-is-stupid-because/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [“The birds were singing around me, but I reflected that the very birds were strangers to me, for I did not even know their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/the-birds-were-singing-around-me-but-i-reflected-that-the-very-birds/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [“Strange how we decorate pain. These ribbons, for instance, and the small hard teardrops of blood. Who are they for? 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I am forgetting too much.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/it-s-my-fault-i-am-forgetting-too-much/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [All fiction is about people, unless it's about rabbits pretending to be people. It's all essentially characters in action, which means characters moving through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/all-fiction-is-about-people-unless-it-s-about-rabbits-pretending-to/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [“Simon walks back to the house alone. The night is clear and warm, with a moon, almost full, enclosed in a nimbus of mist;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/simon-walks-back-to-the-house-alone-the-night-is-clear-and-warm-with/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [“There is indeed something delightful about being able to combine obedience and disobedience in the same act.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/there-is-indeed-something-delightful-about-being-able-to-combine/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [“Every time the women appear, Snowman is astonished all over again. They're every known colour from the deepest black to whitest white, they're various…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/every-time-the-women-appear-snowman-is-astonished-all-over-again-they/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [Once you publish a book, it is out of your control. You cannot dictate how people read it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/once-you-publish-a-book-it-is-out-of-your-control-you-cannot-dictate/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [“The more difficult it was to love the particular man beside us, the more we believed in Love, abstract and total. We were waiting,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/the-more-difficult-it-was-to-love-the-particular-man-beside-us-the/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [“She knows she's deceiving herself about that, but she prefers to deceive herself. She desperately needs to believe such pure joy is still possible.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/she-knows-she-s-deceiving-herself-about-that-but-she-prefers-to/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) [Explore all 2,072 Margaret Atwood quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) ## More Free choice quotes > [The dignity of man is in free choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-frisch/the-dignity-of-man-is-in-free-choice/) [Max Frisch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-frisch/) > [The so-called 'Employee Free Choice Act' envisions a world where workers would be denied privacy and forced to vote in an atmosphere of intimidation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/the-so-called-employee-free-choice-act-envisions-a-world-where/) [Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/) > [Revisiting the Revolutionary War is a bracing reminder that the fate of a continent, and the shape of the modern world, turned on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/revisiting-the-revolutionary-war-is-a-bracing-reminder-that-the-fate/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [God's is the causality at the level of our being, and therefore the roots of our freedom. 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