---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We are raised to believe (on the surface…"
description: "\"“We are raised to believe (on the surface, at least) that us humans only have so much love to give, and that it comes in a standard round unit: one. Af..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec2/anthony-ravenscroft-94768_love_we-are-raised-to-believe-on-the-surface_444686.jpg"
---

#  We are raised to believe (on the surface, at least) that…

![“We are raised to believe (on the surface, at least) that us humans only have so much love to give, and that it comes in a standard round unit: one. After all, we associate love with the heart, and, well, you've either got a whole heart, or you're dead, period. You can't, common wisdom goes, just…” quote by Anthony Ravenscroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec2/anthony-ravenscroft-94768_love_we-are-raised-to-believe-on-the-surface_444686.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec2/anthony-ravenscroft-94768_love_we-are-raised-to-believe-on-the-surface_444686.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec2/anthony-ravenscroft-94768_love_we-are-raised-to-believe-on-the-surface_444686.jpg)

> ““We are raised to believe (on the surface, at least) that us humans only have so much love to give, and that it comes in a standard round unit: one. After all, we associate love with the heart, and, well, you've either got a whole heart, or you're dead, period. You can't, common wisdom goes, just run around dividing that one heart up freely; to claim to do so means that you're either a fool, or you're dividing up something that is dead.””

[Anthony Ravenscroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-ravenscroft/)

## 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 not a finite resource; it can be shared expansively without depletion, challenging the myth of a single heart.

**In simple terms:** Love can be abundant, not limited to one.

Key Takeaway

Embrace open, generous love.

Themes

love relationships generosity myths

Mood

passionate open thoughtful

Type

Love:1 Polyamory:1 Relationships:1 Got Heart:0 Humans Love:0 Heart Freely:1 Dividing Heart:0

When to use this quote

- dating
- family dynamics
- community building

Key Concepts

polyamory emotional abundance cultural narratives

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you define love beyond romance?
- What boundaries support healthy sharing?

A Different Perspective

Societal norms may resist openness.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Dividing Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dividing-heart-3892993/) [Got Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/got-heart/) [Heart Freely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart-freely-1691006/) [Humans Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans-love-661189/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Polyamory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/polyamory/) [Relationships](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relationships/)

## Related quotes

> [I thought that love was a river, endless and deep. I thought it merely happened, washing over you like water. It was nothing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/i-thought-that-love-was-a-river-endless-and-deep-i-thought-it-merely/)

[Alice Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hoffman/)

> [The simple heart that freely asks in love, obtains.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-greenleaf-whittier/the-simple-heart-that-freely-asks-in-love-obtains/)

[John Greenleaf Whittier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-greenleaf-whittier/)

> [“One human life, a human heart freely given--it's the greatest gift anyone can give.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-jay/one-human-life-a-human-heart-freely-given-it-s-the-greatest-gift/)

[Stacey Jay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-jay/)

> [Love knows no distance like the eyes perceive; that which body fails in, can the heart freely be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-knows-no-distance-like-the-eyes-perceive-that-which-body-fails/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Over time I've discovered that with my love there is no such thing as lost love. When I give it and it doesn't come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/over-time-i-ve-discovered-that-with-my-love-there-is-no-such-thing-as/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Be easy, she loves no one but you. I do not think her heart has it in it to love anyone but you. She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-mayer/be-easy-she-loves-no-one-but-you-i-do-not-think-her-heart-has-it-in/)

[Shannon Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-mayer/)

> [Humans love truth and justice, and rejoice in ceremonies that honor those qualities. For that sentiment we should indeed thank God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/humans-love-truth-and-justice-and-rejoice-in-ceremonies-that-honor/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Humans always love and hate each other for a reason; beauty or talent, hard working or wealth. If you want to be loved give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/humans-always-love-and-hate-each-other-for-a-reason-beauty-or-talent/)

[M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/)

> [Cheese has always been a food that both sophisticated and simple humans love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-k-fisher/cheese-has-always-been-a-food-that-both-sophisticated-and-simple/)

[M. F. K. Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-k-fisher/)

> [“Dessie's friends were good and loyal but they were human, and humans love to feel good and they hate to feel bad.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/dessie-s-friends-were-good-and-loyal-but-they-were-human-and-humans/)

[John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/)

> [Do you think there's any way humans can love each other without complication?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/do-you-think-there-s-any-way-humans-can-love-each-other-without/)

[Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/)

> [I grew up saying that I love humans, but I love dogs much, much more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-fisher/i-grew-up-saying-that-i-love-humans-but-i-love-dogs-much-much-more/)

[Jordan Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-fisher/)

> [Love is the essence of human experience and emotion. It is at the root of all and everything we, as humans, do. Without love,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-muller/love-is-the-essence-of-human-experience-and-emotion-it-is-at-the-root/)

[Robert Muller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-muller/)

> [Humans, in the name of Love, let us all unite!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/humans-in-the-name-of-love-let-us-all-unite/)

[Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/)

> [ \[Raising Hope\] is a weird show about weird little humans who love each other. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-woodward/raising-hope-is-a-weird-show-about-weird-little-humans-who-love-each/)

[Shannon Woodward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-woodward/)

## More by Anthony Ravenscroft

> [“Like so many irritating details of the Universe(which, come to think of it, is made up almost wholly of irritating details), the truth is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-ravenscroft/like-so-many-irritating-details-of-the-universe-which-come-to-think/)

[Anthony Ravenscroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-ravenscroft/)

[Explore all 2 Anthony Ravenscroft quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-ravenscroft/)

## More Love quotes

> [Whatever meaning 'Annie's Song' had for me on a personal level, there was also a larger context. It could just as easily have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-denver/whatever-meaning-annie-s-song-had-for-me-on-a-personal-level-there/)

[John Denver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-denver/)

> [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I need a bath." He chuckled. "You smell of smoke, as do I." The duke turned, leaning heavily on his cane. "Jameson, open the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hawkins/i-need-a-bath-he-chuckled-you-smell-of-smoke-as-do-i-the-duke-turned/)

[Karen Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hawkins/)

> [I love going to Columbia, Missouri. That is a really underrated campus. It shocked me when I went there because I really didn't know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-herbstreit/i-love-going-to-columbia-missouri-that-is-a-really-underrated-campus/)

[Kirk Herbstreit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirk-herbstreit/)

> [Life works most perfectly when a reciprocal love relationship is in place between man and God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-moore/life-works-most-perfectly-when-a-reciprocal-love-relationship-is-in/)

[Beth Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-moore/)

> [We talk to God--that is prayer; God talks to us--that is inspiration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-emilie-cady/we-talk-to-god-that-is-prayer-god-talks-to-us-that-is-inspiration/)

[H. Emilie Cady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-emilie-cady/)

> [I fell in love with social work, and that was my undoing as a poet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-rakosi/i-fell-in-love-with-social-work-and-that-was-my-undoing-as-a-poet/)

[Carl Rakosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-rakosi/)

> [You cant be controlling in improv.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-walsh/you-cant-be-controlling-in-improv/)

[Matt Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-walsh/)

> [Everyone needs someone to love, and I choose you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everyone-needs-someone-to-love-and-i-choose-you/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I think, here's what I've realized from interviewing people, and I've been very open about my Catholicism and my love of Christ and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-mohr/i-think-here-s-what-i-ve-realized-from-interviewing-people-and-i-ve/)

[Jay Mohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-mohr/)

> [“To be loved by a man, truly loved, made a woman feel as if she could burst. Of course, Lia was strong and could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melody-anne/to-be-loved-by-a-man-truly-loved-made-a-woman-feel-as-if-she-could/)

[Melody Anne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melody-anne/)

> [So when you take those tears, don't look to see I'm alright. …\*Seal - Violet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-nickel/so-when-you-take-those-tears-don-t-look-to-see-i-m-alright-seal-violet/)

[Eric Nickel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-nickel/)

> [Two things revolutionised life: moving to the countryside and falling in love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-love/two-things-revolutionised-life-moving-to-the-countryside-and-falling/)

[Nick Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-love/)

> [“That horrible stinging sensation returned, the muscles behind my eyes straining as the first tear began to fall. “I’m scared, too. For eighteen months…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devon-ashley/that-horrible-stinging-sensation-returned-the-muscles-behind-my-eyes/)

[Devon Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devon-ashley/)

> [I could program a 'fabulous, I love it' kind of hit season right now. I'm more interested in breaking boundaries, telling a story, defying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-c-wolfe/i-could-program-a-fabulous-i-love-it-kind-of-hit-season-right-now-i-m/)

[George C. Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-c-wolfe/)

[Browse all 233,035 Love quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“We are raised to believe (on the surface, at least) that us humans only have so much love to give, and that it comes in a standard round unit: one. After all, we associate love with the heart, and, well, you've either got a whole heart, or you're dead, period. You can't, common wisdom goes, just run around dividing that one heart up freely; to claim to do so means that you're either a fool, or you're dividing up something that is dead.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Anthony Ravenscroft"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-ravenscroft/we-are-raised-to-believe-on-the-surface-at-least-that-us-humans-only/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Love"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-ravenscroft/we-are-raised-to-believe-on-the-surface-at-least-that-us-humans-only/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec2/anthony-ravenscroft-94768_love_we-are-raised-to-believe-on-the-surface_444686.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec2/anthony-ravenscroft-94768_love_we-are-raised-to-believe-on-the-surface_444686.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec2/anthony-ravenscroft-94768_love_we-are-raised-to-believe-on-the-surface_444686.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“We are raised to believe (on the surface, at least) that us humans only have so much love to give, and that…” — Anthony Ravenscroft",
                "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": "Anthony Ravenscroft",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-ravenscroft/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“We are raised to believe (on...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-ravenscroft/we-are-raised-to-believe-on-the-surface-at-least-that-us-humans-only/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-ravenscroft/we-are-raised-to-believe-on-the-surface-at-least-that-us-humans-only/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
