Protopresbyter Dionysios Tatsis | March 29, 2026
Bitterness is a daily experience
for man, and there must be a continual struggle to restrain it, since it is not
possible for it to be eliminated. Bitterness is caused by many things. There
are, we might say, the unavoidable family matters, misguided personal choices,
the refusal of others to accept our own suggestions, the attacks of unjust
people, the slanders that wound us, the rejection of the moral commandments by
those known and unknown to us, the problematic situation in our professional
environment, but also the memory of the past, which unfortunately is a source
of bitterness that never runs dry. Some people are embittered even about the
future. With their imagination they “see” unpleasant events, think about their
own reactions, and experience bitterness as though it were a reality of the
present!
No one wants bitterness, yet most
people, with very great ease, cause it in others, without being troubled,
though they could still ask forgiveness and thus ease the situation. Bitterness
must depart quickly from a man’s soul, so that he may be able to work with
serenity, be useful in society, keep the commandments willingly, and manifest
active love toward his brethren.
Bitterness is a source of evils.
It leads to actions that do not lessen it, but rather nourish it even more. A
person should not occupy himself with the actions of others that embitter him.
He should disdain them, forget them, and be indifferent to them. Of course,
this is not easy, but it is necessary and requires constant vigilance. His mind
should not return to old matters, nor even to recent ones, which have no value
at all; nor should he take satisfaction in the plans he makes in order to take
revenge on those responsible.
The Apostle Paul writes to the
Ephesians of the way by which a man can be freed from bitterness and anger:
“Put away from yourselves all bitterness, wrath, anger, shouting, and reviling,
along with every other form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one
another, and forgive one another, just as God also forgave you through Christ.”
[1]
St. John Chrysostom emphasizes
that there should not exist in a man’s soul even the slightest trace of
bitterness, because “it is possible for this trace, like some spark, to kindle
within you an entire fire. What then bitterness is, we shall understand well
from what follows. It is like the treacherous man, the deceitful one, the one
ready to do evil, the suspicious one. From this, then, anger and wrath always
proceed. For in such a soul it is not possible for peace to prevail, since
bitterness is the root of anger and wrath. Such a man is also ill-tempered,
never allows his soul to be at rest, is always frowning, always gloomy. These
very people, the embittered and irascible, are the first to reap the fruits of
their own malice.” [2]
St. Basil the Great also states
that bitterness is worse than anger and wrath, which are connected with a man’s
disposition. “He who is wrathful has the passion only in his disposition, while
the irascible man shows something more. The more violent impulse that proceeds
from anger is called paroxysm (a sudden and brief outburst of emotion). But
bitterness is a more dreadful evil.” [3]
Anger is usually a passion that
comes and goes, whereas bitterness is an incurable condition that negatively
affects human relationships. Those tormented by bitterness do not communicate
easily with others, and naturally they cannot come to an understanding even
with those who approach them with goodwill, in order to help them spiritually
and to give them the opportunity to think differently, casting off the poison
of bitterness.
People who suffer from bitterness
are pitiable, and beyond their difficult behavior, we should love them and bear
with them, avoiding descriptions and comments about their life.
NOTES:
1. Eph. 4:31–32.
2. Vasileios D. Charonis, The Pedagogical Anthropology of
John Chrysostom, vol. 3, Athens, 1995, p. 675.
3. Vasileios D. Charonis, The Pedagogical Anthropology of
Basil the Great, vol. 3, Athens, 2004, p. 150.
Greek source:
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