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The important thing was to love rather than to be loved.
W. Somerset Maugham
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Interpretation

What this quote means

True fulfillment comes from giving love rather than seeking it.

This quote emphasizes the significance of love as an act of giving rather than merely a feeling one seeks to receive. It suggests that the essence of love lies not in being loved but in the ability and willingness to love others, highlighting the selfless nature of genuine affection.

Themes

LoveSelflessnessAffectionGivingRelationship

In practice

Example use cases

During a wedding toast, one might reflect on the importance of selfless love.

More from W. Somerset Maugham

The common idea that success spoils people by making them vain, egotistic and self-complacent is erroneous; on the contrary it makes them, for the most part, humble, tolerant and kind.
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There in the mist, enormous, majestic, silent and terrible, stood the Great Wall of China. Solitarily, with the indifference of nature herself, it crept up the mountain side and slipped down to the depth of the valley.
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