QuoteProject
I'm before him on my knees, and he kisses me He assumes I lose my reason and I do. Men are stupid, men are vain, Love's disgusting, love's insane, A humiliating business-oh how true.
Stephen Sondheim
ShareWTF𝕏

Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote reflects the complexities and absurdities of love, including feelings of humiliation and irrationality.

In this quote, Stephen Sondheim captures the paradoxical nature of love, portraying it as both enchanting and humiliating. The speaker finds themselves in a subordinate position, highlighting how love can make one feel powerless and absurd, emphasizing the frustration and insanity often associated with romantic relationships. This raw confession reveals the vulnerability and the darker aspects of love, suggesting that while love can be beautiful, it can also lead to feelings of folly and disillusionment.

Themes

LoveHumiliationComplexityRelationshipsEmotion

In practice

Example use cases

This quote is perfect for a discussion on the challenges of romantic relationships during a relationship counseling session.

More from Stephen Sondheim

Tonight, tonight, won't be just any night. Tonight there will be no morning star.
Stephen SondheimRead
After the Rodgers and Hammerstein revolution, songs became part of the story, as opposed to just entertainments in between comedy scenes.
Stephen SondheimRead
Musical comedies aren't written, they are rewritten.
Stephen SondheimRead
Let Pirelli's / Miracle Elixir / Activate your roots, sir... Keep it off your boots, sir- / Eats right through. Yes, get Pirelli's! / Use a bottle of it! / Ladies seem to love it... Flies do, too!
Stephen SondheimRead
Art, in itself, is an attempt to bring order out of chaos.
Stephen SondheimRead
Careful the spell you cast, not just on children. Sometimes the spell may last Past what you can see And turn against you... Careful the tale you tell. That is the spell.
Stephen SondheimRead

Similar quotes

Whenever she turned her steep focus to me, I felt the warmth that flowers must feel when they bloom through the snow, under the first concentrated rays of the sun.
Janet FitchRead
Falling in love consists merely in uncorking the imagination and bottling the common sense.
Helen RowlandRead
Not every gay person recites poetry or has read Keats. You can get readers through anything if the characters are complicated. You can't dismiss Josey Wales' quite liberal worldview.
Marlon JamesRead
Lukewarm people love others but do not seek to love others as much as they love themselves.
Francis ChanRead
I’ve learned that you can’t predict [love] or plan for it. For someone like me who is obsessed with organization and planning, I love the idea that love is the one exception to that. Love is the one wild card.
Taylor SwiftRead
Holding on to love is not wrong, but you need to learn to hold it lightly, caressingly. Let it fly when it wants. When it's allowed to be free, love is what makes life alive, joyful, and new. As long as love is in my heart, it's everywhere.
Michael JacksonRead

A little wisdom, now and then

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