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Love is - OK, it's 20 things, but it isn't 19. And I think that love reaches for something which is very, very deep in us and is very easily obscured, and is also very easily denied, which is the instinct towards the other person, other than toward the self.
Tom Stoppard
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Love is a complex and profound emotion that often seeks a connection with others rather than just oneself.

In this quote, Tom Stoppard reflects on the multifaceted nature of love, suggesting that while it encompasses many aspects, there is a fundamental instinct to connect with others that can be easily overlooked or denied. Love is portrayed as a deep emotional drive that goes beyond self-interest and seeks a genuine bond with another person.

Themes

LoveConnectionEmotionSelflessnessRelationships

In practice

Example use cases

During a wedding speech, one could quote this to emphasize the depth of love and connection between partners.

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One of the reasons why there are so many versions of Chekhov is that translations date in a way that the original doesn't; translations seem to be of their time.
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A Chinaman of the T'ang Dynasty—and, by which definition, a philosopher—dreamed he was a butterfly, and from that moment he was never quite sure that he was not a butterfly dreaming it was a Chinese philosopher. Envy him; in his two-fold security.
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Chekhov directors and Chekhov actors love working on his plays because there seems to be no end to what you can find out about the micro-narrative when you're investigating a text.
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I think theater ought to be theatrical ... you know, shuffling the pack in different ways so that it's -- there's always some kind of ambush involved in the experience. You're being ambushed by an unexpected word, or by an elephant falling out of the cupboard, whatever it is.
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