QuoteProject
You know, Emily was a selfish old woman in her way. She was very generous, but she always wanted a return. She never let people forget what she had done for them - and, that way she missed love.
Agatha Christie
ShareWTF𝕏

Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote highlights the conflict between generosity and the desire for acknowledgment, suggesting that such selfishness can obstruct genuine love.

In this quote, Agatha Christie reflects on the character of Emily, who, despite her generosity, is ultimately seen as selfish because she seeks a return for her kindness. This desire for recognition and repayment in relationships can prevent the true experience of love, indicating that selfless love must be given freely without expectations to flourish.

Themes

GenerositySelfishnessLoveRelationshipsRecognition

In practice

Example use cases

This quote can be used in a discussion about healthy relationships at a seminar.

More from Agatha Christie

Poirot," I said. "I have been thinking." "An admirable exercise my friend. Continue it.
Agatha ChristieRead
Best of an island is once you get there - you can't go any farther...you've come to the end of things.
Agatha ChristieRead
Where large sums of money are concerned, it is advisable to trust nobody.
Agatha ChristieRead
I have wanted . . . to commit a murder myself. I recognized this as the desire of the artist to express himself! . . . But-incongruous as it may seem to some-I was restrained and hampered by my innate sense of justice. The innocent must not suffer.
Agatha ChristieRead
Sitting here with one's knitting, one just sees the facts. -"The Blood-Stained Pavement
Agatha ChristieRead
No, my friend, I am not drunk. I have just been to the dentist, and need not return for another six months! Is it not the most beautiful thought? --Poirot
Agatha ChristieRead

Similar quotes

In the silence of our hearts, God speaks of His love; with our silence, we allow Jesus to love us.
Mother TeresaRead
Erotic play discloses a nameless world which is revealed by the nocturnal language of lovers. Such language is not written down. It is whispered into the ear at night in a hoarse voice. At dawn it is forgotten.
Jean GenetRead
Love is the master key that opens the gates of happiness, of hatred, of jealousy, and, most easily of all, the gate of fear.
Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.Read
May we ever watch over one another, assisting in times of need. Let us not be critical and judgmental, but let us be tolerant, ever emulating the Savior's example of loving-kindness. In that vein, may we willingly serve one another. May we pray for the inspiration to know of the needs of those around us, and then may we go forward and provide assistance.
Thomas S. MonsonRead
One of the many quotes on love..."Love can come only with time and sentience. We learn it as we learn language--and some never learn it well. Love is like a tool, though it is not a tool; something strange and wonderful to use, difficult to master, and mysterious in its provenance.
Catherynne M. ValenteRead
Romantic love, in pornography as in life, is the mythic celebration of female negation. For a woman, love is defined as her willingness to submit to her own annihilation.... The proof of love is that she is willing to be destroyed by the one whom she loves, for his sake. For the woman, love is always self-sacrifice, the sacrifice of identity, will, and bodily integrity, in order to fulfill and redeem the masculinity of her lover.
Andrea DworkinRead

A little wisdom, now and then

Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.