Love is generally confused with dependence; but in point of fact, you can love only in proportion to your capacity for independence.
Rollo MayRead
Inner sense of worth that comes with being in love does not seem to depend essentially on whether the love is returned or not.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The sense of self-worth from being in love is independent of whether that love is reciprocated.
Rollo May emphasizes that love can instill a profound sense of worthiness and belonging, regardless of whether that love is acknowledged or reciprocated. This perspective highlights the intrinsic value of love itself, suggesting that the emotional experience it brings can foster personal growth and fulfillment apart from any external validation.
Themes
LoveSelf-WorthUnconditionalRelationshipFulfillment
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the self-empowering aspects of love at a relationship workshop.
More from Rollo May
All quotes βTo love means to open ourselves to the negative as well as the positive - to grief, sorrow, and disappointment as well as to joy, fulfillment, and an intensity of consciousness we did not know was possible before
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Terrorism and the whole drug scene are vivid examples of the fact that what persons abhor most of all in life is the possibility that they will not matter.
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Humor is the healthy way of feeling "distance" between one's self and the problem, a way of standing off and looking at one's problem with perspective.
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Beauty is the experience that gives us a sense of joy and a sense of peace simultaneously.
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The poet, like the lover, is a menace on the assembly line.
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