To say 'I love you' one must first be able to say the 'I.'
Ayn RandRead
Love is our response to our highest values.
Interpretation
Love is a reaction to what we deeply value in life.
Ayn Rand's quote emphasizes that love arises when we connect with our highest values and ideals. It suggests that our feelings of love are a reflection of what we deem most important and worthwhile, indicating that love is not arbitrary but deeply tied to our personal philosophies and beliefs.
In practice
During a wedding speech to emphasize the significance of shared values in a marriage.
To say 'I love you' one must first be able to say the 'I.'
The difference between animals and humans is that animals change themselves for the environment, but humans change the environment for themselves.
It is my eyes which see, and the sight of my eyes grants beauty to the earth. It is my ears which hear, and the hearing of my ears gives its song to the world. It is my mind which thinks, and the judgement of my mind is the only searchlight that can find the truth. It is my will which chooses, and the choice of my will is the only edict I must respect.
What is the basic, the essential, the crucial principle that differentiates freedom from slavery? It is the principle of voluntary action versus physical coercion or compulsion.
One method of destroying a concept is by diluting its meaning. Observe that by ascribing rights to the unborn, i.e., the nonliving, the anti-abortionists obliterate the rights of the living.
I think that when in doubt about the truth of an issue, it's safer and in better taste to select the least numerous of the adversaries.
If I had a gun, I'd shoot a hole into the sun and love would burn this city down for you.
she shall scant show well that now shows best.
It is not merely the likeness which is precious... but the association and the sense of nearness involved in the thing... the fact of the very shadow of the person lying there fixed forever! It is the very sanctification of portraits I think - and it is not at all monstrous in me to say that I would rather have such a memorial of one I dearly loved, than the noblest Artist's work ever produced.
To love yourself right now, just as you are, is to give yourself heaven. Don't wait until you die. If you wait, you die now. If you love, you live now.
Let us live, my Lesbia, and let us love. Vivamus, mea Lesbia, atque amemus
Hugs can do great amounts of good - especially for children.
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