--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Oh darling, don't be bitter. It's the…" description: "\"Oh darling, don't be bitter. It's the first instinct of the weak.\" — Sarah Dessen" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/788/sarah-dessen-110_anger_oh-darling-don-t-be-bitter-it-s-the-firs_1921297.png" --- # Oh darling, don't be bitter. It's the first instinct of… ![“Oh darling, don't be bitter. It's the first instinct of the weak.” quote by Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/788/sarah-dessen-110_anger_oh-darling-don-t-be-bitter-it-s-the-firs_1921297.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/788/sarah-dessen-110_anger_oh-darling-don-t-be-bitter-it-s-the-firs_1921297.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/788/sarah-dessen-110_anger_oh-darling-don-t-be-bitter-it-s-the-firs_1921297.png) > “Oh darling, don't be bitter. It's the first instinct of the weak.” [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Weakness often manifests as bitterness; overcoming it requires strength and self‑compassion. **In simple terms:** Bitter feelings show weakness. Key Takeaway Cultivate resilience and kindness toward yourself. Themes emotions strength growth self‑compassion Mood empathetic motivational Type inspirational self‑help When to use this quote - relationship conflicts - personal setbacks - self‑reflection Key Concepts psychology emotional intelligence vulnerability Questions to Reflect On - What triggers your bitterness? - How can you respond with strength? A Different Perspective Bitter attitudes can become a self‑fulfilling prophecy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Anger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anger/) [Bitter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bitter/) [Bitter Instinct](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bitter-instinct-2951610/) [Darling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/darling/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Instinct](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/instinct/) [Instinct Weak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/instinct-weak-2951611/) [Oh Darling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oh-darling/) [Weak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weak/) ## Related quotes > [Oh, darling, I've been so miserable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/oh-darling-i-ve-been-so-miserable/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > ['Oh! Darling' was a great one of Paul's that he didn't sing too well. I always thought I could have done it better-it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/oh-darling-was-a-great-one-of-paul-s-that-he-didn-t-sing-too-well-i/) [John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) > [“Is the princess still in the fitting room?" "Oh no, darling. She appeared about half an hour ago. Poured herself a black coffee, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhys-bowen/is-the-princess-still-in-the-fitting-room-oh-no-darling-she-appeared/) [Rhys Bowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhys-bowen/) > [Oh but darling ... we're all insane.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ream/oh-but-darling-we-re-all-insane/) [Ream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ream/) > [Why?” He tilted his head. “That’s a tricky one. Could it be your serenity, your quiet manner, your flawless fashion sense?” It did his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/why-he-tilted-his-head-that-s-a-tricky-one-could-it-be-your-serenity/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“What if I fall oh but my darling what if you fly”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-barrie/what-if-i-fall-oh-but-my-darling-what-if-you-fly/) [J.M. Barrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-barrie/) > [Oh darling all I have to say is…fuck you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alyssa-herring/oh-darling-all-i-have-to-say-is-fuck-you/) [Alyssa Herring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alyssa-herring/) > [Oh, darling, you will be good to me, won’t you? Because we’re going to have a strange life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/oh-darling-you-will-be-good-to-me-won-t-you-because-we-re-going-to/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [Oh darling, arent we all insane?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patience/oh-darling-arent-we-all-insane/) [Patience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patience/) > [I WAS TALKING TO YOU LIKE YOU PUT THE STARS IN THE SKY,OH DARLING HOW COULD I HAVE SO MUCH COMPASSION OVER SOMEONE WHOS…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-was-talking-to-you-like-you-put-the-stars-in-the-sky-oh-darling-how/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Oh Darling! when you said you had a small gift for me, I thought you were going to unzip your pants again ...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manish-bhagtani/oh-darling-when-you-said-you-had-a-small-gift-for-me-i-thought-you/) [Manish Bhagtani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manish-bhagtani/) > [“Nose to nose with her, he gave her his best bad dog snarl. "You've forgotten who and what you're dealing with here, princess. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-gerard/nose-to-nose-with-her-he-gave-her-his-best-bad-dog-snarl-you-ve/) [Cindy Gerard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-gerard/) > [Oh but, darling, they do. So many things matter. You matter, my love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kylie/oh-but-darling-they-do-so-many-things-matter-you-matter-my-love/) [Kylie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kylie/) > [“This is how you must imagine your letters arriving, and me carrying them off to read in peace, and saying 'oh darling Virginia', and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vita-sackville-west/this-is-how-you-must-imagine-your-letters-arriving-and-me-carrying/) [Vita Sackville-West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vita-sackville-west/) > [“...On their first day in the new house, Addams had gotten up in the dark. From the surrounding swamp came bloodcurdling screams - the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-h-davis/on-their-first-day-in-the-new-house-addams-had-gotten-up-in-the-dark/) [Linda H. Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-h-davis/) ## More by Sarah Dessen > [Sometimes a question can hurt more than an answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/sometimes-a-question-can-hurt-more-than-an-answer/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [“if i were a book i would be so open”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/if-i-were-a-book-i-would-be-so-open/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [Harder to get in than out, like so little else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/harder-to-get-in-than-out-like-so-little-else/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [“At times, I found myself questioning his very existence, even though I knew I had, in fact, spotted him, with my own eyes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/at-times-i-found-myself-questioning-his-very-existence-even-though-i/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [You don't have to say it out loud. I already know why you like me.' 'You do, huh?' 'Yep.' He wrapped his arms around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/you-don-t-have-to-say-it-out-loud-i-already-know-why-you-like-me-you/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [No relationship is perfect, ever. There are always some ways you have to bend, to compromise, to give something up in order to gain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/no-relationship-is-perfect-ever-there-are-always-some-ways-you-have/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [When you had to do something, you had to do it. And eventually, if you were lucky, you did it well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/when-you-had-to-do-something-you-had-to-do-it-and-eventually-if-you/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [the truth about forever is that it is happening right now](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/the-truth-about-forever-is-that-it-is-happening-right-now/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [I jammed my hand in my jacket pocket, bracing myself fo the next hit, and fel something. Something grainy and samll, sticking to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/i-jammed-my-hand-in-my-jacket-pocket-bracing-myself-fo-the-next-hit/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [I had no illusions about love anymore. It came, it went, it left casualties or it didn't. People weren't meant to be together forever,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/i-had-no-illusions-about-love-anymore-it-came-it-went-it-left/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [“But maybe that isn't so bad. You can't love anyone that way more than once in a lifetime. It's too hard and it hurts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/but-maybe-that-isn-t-so-bad-you-can-t-love-anyone-that-way-more-than/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [This was just one night, one chance to vary and see where it took me. The fireflies were probably already out: maybe it wasn’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/this-was-just-one-night-one-chance-to-vary-and-see-where-it-took-me/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [call it chicken salad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/call-it-chicken-salad/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [“For me, however, it was a mix of the two, this constant push and pull. I loved it here. But I'd been in that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/for-me-however-it-was-a-mix-of-the-two-this-constant-push-and-pull-i/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [I think whenever a writer is really enjoying themselves and liking what they are doing, that shows on the page.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/i-think-whenever-a-writer-is-really-enjoying-themselves-and-liking/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) [Explore all 1,251 Sarah Dessen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) ## More Anger quotes > [“If I let myself think of it the pain and anger were still fresh, adrenalin racing down my limbs to pool, hot and itchy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kylie-ladd/if-i-let-myself-think-of-it-the-pain-and-anger-were-still-fresh/) [Kylie Ladd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kylie-ladd/) > [I receive something we might euphemistically call an 'inappropriately hostile' response - that is to say, more than fair criticism or even fair anger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-beard/i-receive-something-we-might-euphemistically-call-an-inappropriately/) [Mary Beard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-beard/) > [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [Anger is a rough water; if you can canalize it into a water mill, you can benefit from it. Anything bad can be transformed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/anger-is-a-rough-water-if-you-can-canalize-it-into-a-water-mill-you/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“Some say the Earth is angry Because he wants no company; I say the Earth is angry Because he lives alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin/some-say-the-earth-is-angry-because-he-wants-no-company-i-say-the/) [N.K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin/) > [“When you feel terribly angry, you're possessed by anger ghost.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/when-you-feel-terribly-angry-you-re-possessed-by-anger-ghost/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) > [“Medical studies have shown that cursing reduces levels of stress and pain. Repressing your anger is not healthy. It's much better to verbalize it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-markus-malloy/medical-studies-have-shown-that-cursing-reduces-levels-of-stress-and/) [Oliver Markus Malloy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-markus-malloy/) > [My care will be in the heart n not in words My anger will be in Words n not in the Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/my-care-will-be-in-the-heart-n-not-in-words-my-anger-will-be-in-words/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [You should be angry. 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/) > [To be a Negro in this country and to be relatively conscious is to be in a rage almost all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-be-a-negro-in-this-country-and-to-be-relatively-conscious-is-to-be/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“God, you had enough time to have been through it three times. You've been through my stuff. 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": "Oh darling, don't be bitter. 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