Tragedy is both central and overlooked in psychoanalysis. It is central because analysis deals with conflict, with the inevitability of disappointment in every analysis and in every hour; it is overlooked because in the offer of treatment we hold out hope that disappointment may be overcome for an outcome that is "better." In our psychoanalytic value system, truth and realism live in tension with the actuality of the analytic relationship—a dyadic bond that speaks to the deepest, most subjective potential in patients. We intuitively balance our awareness of the harsh, tragic realities of thwarted desire with what we offer instead—analytic "tough love" cushioned