--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I know of only one duty, and that is to…" description: "\"I know of only one duty, and that is to love.\" — Albert Camus" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/728/albert-camus-47_duty_i-know-of-only-one-duty-and-that-is-to-l_708078.jpg" --- # I know of only one duty, and that is to love. ![“I know of only one duty, and that is to love.” quote by Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/728/albert-camus-47_duty_i-know-of-only-one-duty-and-that-is-to-l_708078.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/728/albert-camus-47_duty_i-know-of-only-one-duty-and-that-is-to-l_708078.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/728/albert-camus-47_duty_i-know-of-only-one-duty-and-that-is-to-l_708078.jpg) > “I know of only one duty, and that is to love.” [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Love is presented as the singular moral responsibility in an indifferent world. **In simple terms:** Love is the only duty. Key Takeaway Prioritize love in actions. Themes ethics existentialism humanism Mood reflective compassionate Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - personal relationships - community service - conflict resolution Key Concepts moral duty absurdism Questions to Reflect On - How can love guide decisions in moral dilem? - What limits does love have as a moral compass? A Different Perspective Love may not solve systemic injustice alone. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Duty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/duty/) [Duty Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/duty-love-431252/) [Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know/) [Know Duty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-duty-330480/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Love Does](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-does/) [Valentine 's day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/valentine-s-day/) ## Related quotes > [It's your duty to fly the airplane. If you get killed in it, you don't know anything about it anyway. Duty is paramount. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-yeager/it-s-your-duty-to-fly-the-airplane-if-you-get-killed-in-it-you-don-t/) [Chuck Yeager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-yeager/) > [“And then the second thing you have to do is go and see your son. That is a duty of love, Andrew. It's as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/and-then-the-second-thing-you-have-to-do-is-go-and-see-your-son-that/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“The most difficult challenge an honest man will ever face is having to choose between duty and love. One creates a man of honorable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-goodrich/the-most-difficult-challenge-an-honest-man-will-ever-face-is-having/) [Richelle Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-goodrich/) > [You will always find those who think they know what is your duty better than you know it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/you-will-always-find-those-who-think-they-know-what-is-your-duty-2/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [We all know our duty better than we discharge it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-randolph/we-all-know-our-duty-better-than-we-discharge-it/) [John Randolph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-randolph/) > [Not only do we have a right to know, we have a duty to know what our Government is doing in our name.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-cronkite/not-only-do-we-have-a-right-to-know-we-have-a-duty-to-know-what-our-2/) [Walter Cronkite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-cronkite/) > [“you will always find those who think they know what is your duty better than you”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-bryans/you-will-always-find-those-who-think-they-know-what-is-your-duty/) [Bruce Bryans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-bryans/) > [Our time is fixed, and all our days are number'd; How long, how short, we know not:—this we know, Duty requires we calmly wait…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-blair/our-time-is-fixed-and-all-our-days-are-number-d-how-long-how-short-we/) [Robert Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-blair/) > [From the right to know and the duty to inquire flows the obligation to act.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-steingraber/from-the-right-to-know-and-the-duty-to-inquire-flows-the-obligation/) [Sandra Steingraber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-steingraber/) > [Let him who gropes painfully in darkness or uncertain light, and prays vehemently that the dawn may ripen into day, lay this precept well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/let-him-who-gropes-painfully-in-darkness-or-uncertain-light-and-prays/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [Those who have the privilege to know have the duty to act.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/those-who-have-the-privilege-to-know-have-the-duty-to-act/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I know General Grant better than any other person in the country can know him. It was my duty to study him, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-m-stanton/i-know-general-grant-better-than-any-other-person-in-the-country-can/) [Edwin M. Stanton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-m-stanton/) > [There is nothing in the universe that I fear, but that I shall not know all my duty, or shall fail to do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lyon/there-is-nothing-in-the-universe-that-i-fear-but-that-i-shall-not/) [Mary Lyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lyon/) > [“They always seemed to know everything, but now there is only me, and it seems I know nothing, not even my duty. How can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/they-always-seemed-to-know-everything-but-now-there-is-only-me-and-it/) [George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) > [“They are of course aware of a higher calling, because they are sworn to defend this country and to fight its battles. And when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-luttrell-patrick-robinson/they-are-of-course-aware-of-a-higher-calling-because-they-are-sworn/) [Marcus Luttrell, Patrick Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-luttrell-patrick-robinson/) ## More by Albert Camus > [“The whole town rushed outside to celebrate this crowded minute when the time of suffering had ended and the time of forgetting had not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/the-whole-town-rushed-outside-to-celebrate-this-crowded-minute-when/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [Generally, I like all islands. There, it is easier to rule.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/generally-i-like-all-islands-there-it-is-easier-to-rule/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [Being is good, but getting rich is better… If the gods had only the riches of men's adoration, they would be as poor as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/being-is-good-but-getting-rich-is-better-if-the-gods-had-only-the/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [The more I produce, the less I am certain. On the road along which the artist walks, night falls ever more densely. Finally, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/the-more-i-produce-the-less-i-am-certain-on-the-road-along-which-the/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [“Having been, not only mutilated in our country, wounded in our very flesh, but also divested of our most beautiful images, for you gave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/having-been-not-only-mutilated-in-our-country-wounded-in-our-very/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [I've seen of enough of people who die for an idea. I don't believe in heroism; I know it's easy and I've learned it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/i-ve-seen-of-enough-of-people-who-die-for-an-idea-i-don-t-believe-in/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [The best are led to make greater demands upon themselves. As for those who succumb, they did not deserve to survive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/the-best-are-led-to-make-greater-demands-upon-themselves-as-for-those/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [“Then he asked me if I wasn’t interested in a change of life. I said that people never change their lives, that in any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/then-he-asked-me-if-i-wasn-t-interested-in-a-change-of-life-i-said/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [Life is meaningless, but worth living, provided you recognize it's meaningless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/life-is-meaningless-but-worth-living-provided-you-recognize-it-s/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [Thinking of the future, establishing aims for oneself, having preferences-all this presupposes a belief in freedom, even if one occasionally ascertains that one doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/thinking-of-the-future-establishing-aims-for-oneself-having/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [I explained to him, however, that my nature was such that my physical needs often got in the way of my feelings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/i-explained-to-him-however-that-my-nature-was-such-that-my-physical/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/the-only-way-to-deal-with-an-unfree-world-is-to-become-so-absolutely/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [“We love people not because for good they did for us, but for good we did for them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/we-love-people-not-because-for-good-they-did-for-us-but-for-good-we/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [You have so much inside you, and the noblest happiness of all. Don’t just wait for a man to come along. That’s the mistake…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/you-have-so-much-inside-you-and-the-noblest-happiness-of-all-don-t/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [The desire for possession is insatiable, to such a point that it can survive even love itself. To love, therefore, is to sterilize the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/the-desire-for-possession-is-insatiable-to-such-a-point-that-it-can/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) [Explore all 1,600 Albert Camus quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) ## More Duty quotes > [I pray that wherever we are and whatever duties we have in the priesthood of God, we will be united in the cause to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/i-pray-that-wherever-we-are-and-whatever-duties-we-have-in-the/) [Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/) > [Few political debates have been as divisive as the European one. I fought as hard as I could on the Remain side, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damian-green/few-political-debates-have-been-as-divisive-as-the-european-one-i/) [Damian Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damian-green/) > [I'm a strange mixture of my mother's curiosity; my father, who grew up the son of the manse in a Presbyterian family, who had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-murdoch/i-m-a-strange-mixture-of-my-mother-s-curiosity-my-father-who-grew-up/) [Rupert Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-murdoch/) > [“Is that what they teach you at the convent? That the gods demand the hearts from our bodies?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-lafevers/is-that-what-they-teach-you-at-the-convent-that-the-gods-demand-the/) [Robin LaFevers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-lafevers/) > [The less we show our love to a woman, Or please her less, and neglect our duty, The more we trap and ruin her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-pushkin/the-less-we-show-our-love-to-a-woman-or-please-her-less-and-neglect/) [Alexander Pushkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-pushkin/) > [We can find common qualities and common values that have made Britain the country it is. Our belief in tolerance and liberty which shines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-brown/we-can-find-common-qualities-and-common-values-that-have-made-britain/) [Gordon Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-brown/) > [Consideration is the soil in which wisdom may be expected to grow, and strength be given to every up-springing plant of duty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/consideration-is-the-soil-in-which-wisdom-may-be-expected-to-grow-and/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [“You have a right to be sad, and a duty to move on. Only wins who wipes the tears, gather strength and move forward.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusto-branco/you-have-a-right-to-be-sad-and-a-duty-to-move-on-only-wins-who-wipes/) [Augusto Branco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusto-branco/) > [Our duty as Christians is always to keep heaven in our eye and earth under our feet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-henry/our-duty-as-christians-is-always-to-keep-heaven-in-our-eye-and-earth/) [Matthew Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-henry/) > [May God bless each of us in our calls to serve. May our faith strengthen as we serve in righteousness, faithfully keeping the commandments.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-tom-perry/may-god-bless-each-of-us-in-our-calls-to-serve-may-our-faith/) [L. Tom Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-tom-perry/) > [Regardless of how you feel about war and peace those serving military are doing a duty for the rest of us and they're protecting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-cardellini/regardless-of-how-you-feel-about-war-and-peace-those-serving-military/) [Linda Cardellini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-cardellini/) > [“Duty is a done deal.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/duty-is-a-done-deal/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [Politics...You see, it depends on what kind of politics. What we did during my father's generation was a duty. And it was beautiful because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/politics-you-see-it-depends-on-what-kind-of-politics-what-we-did/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [I do not so much rejoice that God hath made me to be a Queen, as to be a Queen over so thankful a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-i/i-do-not-so-much-rejoice-that-god-hath-made-me-to-be-a-queen-as-to-be/) [Elizabeth I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-i/) > [The whole duty of man is summed up in obedience to God's will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/the-whole-duty-of-man-is-summed-up-in-obedience-to-god-s-will/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) [Browse all 5,178 Duty quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/duty/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I know of only one duty, and that is to love.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Albert Camus" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/i-know-of-only-one-duty-and-that-is-to-love/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Duty" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/i-know-of-only-one-duty-and-that-is-to-love/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/728/albert-camus-47_duty_i-know-of-only-one-duty-and-that-is-to-l_708078.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/728/albert-camus-47_duty_i-know-of-only-one-duty-and-that-is-to-l_708078.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/728/albert-camus-47_duty_i-know-of-only-one-duty-and-that-is-to-l_708078.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I know of only one duty, and that is to love.” — Albert Camus", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Albert Camus", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I know of only one duty,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/i-know-of-only-one-duty-and-that-is-to-love/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/i-know-of-only-one-duty-and-that-is-to-love/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```