Read them and see — these quotes may inspire you to share your love even more!
The more we love without expecting any rewards in return, the more we will increase our chance of happiness.
— Stephanie Cacioppo, Wired for Love: A Neuroscientist's Journey Through Romance, Loss, and the Essence of Human Connection
Love is a feeling that exists beyond time, conditions, and other factors, including rewards. Unlike business relationships, love does not require anything in return, and you do not have to “deserve” love. However, we often forget this and try to make every effort to be loved, or vice versa expect our partner to somehow “reward” us for our feelings. In the pursuit of earning love or getting something in return, we forget to enjoy this wonderful feeling.
Many studies have already proven that when we are in love, our perception of time changes, and we live more in the present moment, as it increases the level of norepinephrine in the body. Also, falling in love stimulates the release of the hormone oxytocin, which is responsible for our sense of empathy and trust. Read more about how falling in love affects our bodies and stimulates happiness in our Wired for Love summary.
We need food. We need water. We need warmth. And the lover feels he/she needs the beloved.
— Helen Fisher, Why We Love: The Nature and Chemistry of Romantic Love
Falling in love is an essential element of everyone's life. However, love is diverse, and depending on which side of love we discover for ourselves, different processes are stimulated inside us. For instance, it can be lust, which increases the level of such hormones as dopamine and norepinephrine, neurotransmitters that, in turn, affect emotional manifestations and sexual arousal.
Another equally important manifestation of love for us is attachment, a pleasant feeling when we want to spend as much time as possible with a person. This feeling increases the level of the hormones vasopressin and oxytocin in our body, making us feel a deep connection with the person. Although love comes in many forms, we need to experience all of them. You can learn more about this in our Why We Love book summary.
Rather than sweeping romantic gestures or grand overtures, it is these tiny courtesies that create the foundation for the love we seek. If they are missing, the foundation will weaken over time.
— Susan Piver, The Four Noble Truths of Love: Buddhist Wisdom for Modern Relationships
In books and movies, we are used to seeing love as something that requires a lot of effort, noble gestures, and a whole series of trials. No doubt, our journey with our soulmate may not be easy and may require patience, but love is not always about big words and showy gestures. Small talk, small compliments, and moments of courtesy through which we show love to our significant other are no less important.
In her book The Four Noble Truths, Susan Piver shares Buddhism’s wisdom on building long-term relationships in a way that brings you happiness. Read more about how to do this in our The Four Noble Truths summary.
To love or have loved, that is enough. Ask nothing further. There is no other pearl to be found in the dark folds of life.
— Les Miserables, Victor Hugo
Almost all books, movies, and paintings celebrate love as one of the greatest feelings a person can experience. From ancient Greek love myths to Shakespeare's English classic Romeo and Juliet. At any time, the theme of love has been central to any field of art: theater, cinema, literature. French writers were especially successful in conveying this feeling to art lovers.
Victor Hugo is one of the most famous French writers who glorified love and the greatness of this feeling. In his opinion, “To love another person is to see the face of God,” and it was this style that made his works incredible. Nowadays, Victor Hugo is known for his world-famous works Les Miserables and Notre Dame de Paris. Read fiction that has become a classic and get inspired to fall in love!
Love is not about staring at each other, but staring off in the same direction.
— Antoine de Saint Exupéry
Love is a feeling that knows no boundaries or conditions, yet many myths can confuse and mislead us. Let’s say, how often have you heard that you can't be complete without your soulmate? Or that if a person loves you, they can understand you 100% even without words. These are all undoubtedly myths that make us misinterpret love in our lives. Read more about these and other myths in our Fierce Love summary.
One of the most common myths is that love is all we need. You've probably heard the thoughts, “If he/she loved me, they would have done it!” or “If this relationship didn't work out, then my partner didn't love me enough.” We can love a person with all our hearts, but our differences or conditions will become a serious obstacle to the fulfilling relationship. And this is normal. That's why, in addition to a great sense of love, partners should have common worldviews and plans for the future.
We hope these love quotes and books about love have made you reconsider and explore this feeling more deeply. Remember that whether you are in a relationship or not, you can share unconditional love and receive it in return! The former is essential if you want to build long-term relationships in the future.
