I am doomed to an eternity of compulsive work. No set goal achieved satisfies. Success only breeds a new goal. The golden apple devoured has seeds. It is endless.
Once the love bug wears off, as it inevitably does, you are shocked to discover that you really didn't know the object of your affections at all. We know this to be so, even as we repeat the same mistake over and over and over.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The initial excitement of love can blind us to the true nature of our partners.
This quote highlights the fleeting nature of romantic infatuation and the tendency for people to overlook the true character of their partners during the early stages of a relationship. Bette Davis points out that the 'love bug' can create an illusion that often fades, revealing a deeper reality that might be disappointing or surprising. It reflects on human behavior in relationships, where the cycle of falling in love and then later realizing the truth about the person is often repeated.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a relationship seminar discussing common pitfalls, this quote can emphasize the importance of understanding one's partner fully.
More from Bette Davis
All quotes →I have been uncompromising, peppery, intractable, monomaniacal, tactless, volatile, and oftentimes disagreeable... I suppose I'm larger than life.
Acting should be bigger than life. Scripts should be bigger than life. It should all be bigger than life.
Today everyone is a star - they're all billed as 'starring' or 'also starring'. In my day, we earned that recognition.
If everybody likes you, you're pretty dull.
You will never be happier than you expect. To change your happiness, change your expectation.
Similar quotes
It is impossible to forgive someone if you feel superior to him or her.
In all legends men have thought of women as sublime separately but horrible in a herd.
Spiritual Partnership ... The new female and the new male are partners on a journey of spiritual growth. They want to make the journey. Their love and trust keep them together. Their intuition guides them. They consult with each other. They are friends. They laugh a lot. They are equals. That is what a spiritual partnership is: a partnership between equals for the purpose of spiritual growth.
The big rule is that you must never get mixed up with a married man - never even look sideways at another woman's fella. Boy, I really was terrific at obeying that rule, wasn't I?
Men have always detested women's gossip because they suspect the truth: their measurements are being taken and compared.
If a person says or does something that we consider offensive, our first obligation is to refuse to take offense and then communicate privately, honestly, and directly with that individual. Such an approach invites inspiration from the Holy Ghost and permits misperceptions to be clarified and true intent to be understood.