Constant bitterness can actually make a person ill, a new
university study warned yesterday. Researchers who examined the
link between failure, bitterness and quality of life found that
blaming others could lead to physical disease. Prof Carsten
Wrosch, of Montreal’s Concordia University, said persistent
bitterness can cause biological dysregulation- a physiological
impairment that can affect metabolism, immune response or organ
function and ultimately, a physical disease. Unlike regret,
which is about self-blame, it points the finger elsewhere-
laying the blame for failure on external causes. He said
bitterness could be avoided, if people who experience failure
could find other ways to fulfill their goals. If they could not,
it was essential to stop the fruitless effort such as trying to
get promoted or saving a doomed marriage.