The truth of the matter I believe to be this. There is, as…
““The truth of the matter I believe to be this. There is, as I stated at first, no absolute right or wrong in love, but everything depends upon the circumstances, to yield to a bad man in a bad way is wrong, but to yield to a worthy man in a right way is right. The bad man is a common or a vulgar lover, who is in love with the body rather than the soul; he is not constant because what he loves is not constant; as soon as the flower of physical beauty, which is what he loves, begins to fade, he is gone "even as a dream", and all his professions and promises are as nothing. But the lover of a noble nature remains its lover for life, because the thing to which he cleaves is constant. The object of our custom then is to subject lovers to a thorough test; it encourages the lover to pursue and the bloved to flee, in order that the right kind of lover may in the end be gratified and the wrong kind be eluded; it sets up a kind of competition to determine which kind of lover and beloved respectively belong.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Love lacks absolute right or wrong; its morality depends on circumstances and the nature of the lover, with noble love being constant and superficial love fleeting.
In simple terms: Love’s rightness varies with context and the lover’s character.
Key Takeaway
Seek deep, lasting connections rather than fleeting attractions.
Themes
love
morality
character
Mood
philosophical
contemplative
Type
Bad man:1
Love:1
Lover:1
Lovers:1
Philisophy:0
Physical beauty:0
Right or wrong:0
Right way:0
Test:0
Truth:0
Wrong love:0
Love Depends:0
Vulgar Lover:0
When to use this quote
- relationship counseling
- personal growth
- literary analysis
- ethical debates
- spiritual practice
Key Concepts
philosophy
ethics
relationships
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you define a noble lover?
- When is love justified despite circumstances?
A Different Perspective
The view may oversimplify complex relationships.