As long as habit and routine dictate the pattern of living, new dimensions of the soul will not emerge.
Henry Van DykeRead
And you will remember that love is not getting, but giving; not a wild dream of pleasure, and a madness of desire — oh no, love is not that — it is goodness, and honour, and peace, and pure living — yes, love is that; and it is the best thing in the world, and the thing that lives longest.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Love is about giving and embodying goodness rather than seeking personal pleasure.
This quote emphasizes that true love transcends selfish desires and fleeting pleasures. Instead, it focuses on the virtues of goodness, honor, peace, and pure living, suggesting that love nurtures the best qualities in humanity and endures far longer than mere physical or superficial experiences.
Themes
LoveGivingGoodnessHonorPeacePure Living
In practice
Example use cases
In a wedding ceremony to highlight the essence of love between partners.
More from Henry Van Dyke
All quotes →It is with rivers as it is with people: the greatest are not always the most agreeable nor the best to live with.
Henry Van DykeRead
Let me but find it in my heart to say, When vagrant wishes beckon me astray, "This is my work; my blessing, not my doom; Of all who live, I am the one by whom This work can best be done in the right way."
Henry Van DykeRead
Oh, London is a man's town, there's power in the air; And Paris is a woman's town, with flowers in her hair; And it's sweet to dream in Venice, and it's great to study Rome; But when it comes to living, there is no place like home.
Henry Van DykeRead
No amount of energy will take the place of thought. A strenuous life with its eyes shut is a kind of wild insanity.
Henry Van DykeRead
A peace that depends on fear is nothing but a suppressed war.
Henry Van DykeRead
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