A tragic situation exists precisely when virtue does not triumph but when it is still felt that man is nobler than the forces which destroy him. George Orwell
Even when a person has all of life's comforts - good food, good shelter, a companion - he or she can still become unhappy when encountering a tragic situation. Dalai Lama
The paradoxical and tragic situation of man is that his conscience is weakest when he needs it most. Erich Fromm