--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think that one of the great things…" description: "\"I think that one of the great things about spending - as in my case - twenty-something years with somebody is that at some point you do love the actual..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/faa/claire-messud-1372_great-things_i-think-that-one-of-the-great-things-abo_386753.jpg" --- # I think that one of the great things about spending - as… ![“I think that one of the great things about spending - as in my case - twenty-something years with somebody is that at some point you do love the actual person. They're there little by little, the outline is really pretty clear.” quote by Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/faa/claire-messud-1372_great-things_i-think-that-one-of-the-great-things-abo_386753.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/faa/claire-messud-1372_great-things_i-think-that-one-of-the-great-things-abo_386753.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/faa/claire-messud-1372_great-things_i-think-that-one-of-the-great-things-abo_386753.jpg) > “I think that one of the great things about spending - as in my case - twenty-something years with somebody is that at some point you do love the actual person. They're there little by little, the outline is really pretty clear.” [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Long‑term relationships evolve from novelty to deep affection as familiarity builds. **In simple terms:** Love grows through shared time and experiences. Key Takeaway Value and nurture long‑standing connections. Themes relationships time affection Mood nostalgic thoughtful Type literary observational When to use this quote - marriage - friendship - long‑term partnerships Key Concepts personal growth intimacy longevity Questions to Reflect On - How has time changed your view of a close person? - What moments deepen love over years? A Different Perspective Assumes all long relationships become loving, ignoring conflict. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Great things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-things/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [I don't believe in this fairy tale of staying together for ever. Ten years with somebody is enough. In ten years, you can give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-carrey/i-don-t-believe-in-this-fairy-tale-of-staying-together-for-ever-ten/) [Jim Carrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-carrey/) > [Its been 2 years since somebody asked me who I was. Im greatest man I said that before I knew I was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drake/its-been-2-years-since-somebody-asked-me-who-i-was-im-greatest-man-i/) [Drake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drake/) > [Worldwide, people are spending money and they deserve to see themselves in the things they're spending money on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-ackie/worldwide-people-are-spending-money-and-they-deserve-to-see/) [Naomi Ackie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-ackie/) > [Buy experiences, not things. Spending on experiences makes people happier than spending on things. Things get broken and go out of style. Experiences get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-chatzky/buy-experiences-not-things-spending-on-experiences-makes-people/) [Jean Chatzky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-chatzky/) > [If you looked at their cable bill, their telephone, their cell phone bill, other things they're spending money on, it may turn out that,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/if-you-looked-at-their-cable-bill-their-telephone-their-cell-phone/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I have a great love of the actual.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-farber/i-have-a-great-love-of-the-actual/) [Manny Farber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manny-farber/) > [Brock Lesnar and I are as different as any two people can be. What drew us together was the love of the actual performance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-heyman/brock-lesnar-and-i-are-as-different-as-any-two-people-can-be-what/) [Paul Heyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-heyman/) > [This new form of activity medicine I could not represent to myself as talking about the religion of love, but only as an actual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-schweitzer/this-new-form-of-activity-medicine-i-could-not-represent-to-myself-as/) [Albert Schweitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-schweitzer/) > [Loving someone u like to love is not a credit...being loved by someone u like to love is actual credit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shihabudheen/loving-someone-u-like-to-love-is-not-a-credit-being-loved-by-someone/) Shihabudheen > [“Is that the point when you are in love? When you not only choose someone but also accept him ready-made? When you change something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoav-blum/is-that-the-point-when-you-are-in-love-when-you-not-only-choose/) [Yoav Blum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoav-blum/) > [“The whole point of love is to trust someone with your heart and pray they don't break it. It's about faith in each other.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/belle-aurora/the-whole-point-of-love-is-to-trust-someone-with-your-heart-and-pray/) [Belle Aurora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/belle-aurora/) > [Whays the point of love to begin with? To know what it's like to not have to be perfect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexa-michalec/whays-the-point-of-love-to-begin-with-to-know-what-it-s-like-to-not/) [Alexa Michalec](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexa-michalec/) > [“At some point you have to love in order to be lovable.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leanne-banks/at-some-point-you-have-to-love-in-order-to-be-lovable/) [Leanne Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leanne-banks/) > [What is the point of love? Love kept inside means nothing. Love is born to live, breathe and to be nurtured. It needs to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ajarn-kevan/what-is-the-point-of-love-love-kept-inside-means-nothing-love-is-born/) Ajarn Kevan > [When love takes over your heart, your mind and your soul there are no guarantee that you will be loved back... and that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-love-takes-over-your-heart-your-mind-and-your-soul-there-are-no/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Claire Messud > [I'd wish for my work to be remembered rather than myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/i-d-wish-for-my-work-to-be-remembered-rather-than-myself/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [I have said it somewhere - our literary lived lives are as important as our literally lived lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/i-have-said-it-somewhere-our-literary-lived-lives-are-as-important-as/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [“Life is about deciding what matters. It’s about the fantasy that determines the reality. Have you ever asked yourself whether you’d rather fly or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/life-is-about-deciding-what-matters-it-s-about-the-fantasy-that/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [Life's funny. You have to find a way to keep going, to keep laughing, even after you realize that none of your dreams will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/life-s-funny-you-have-to-find-a-way-to-keep-going-to-keep-laughing/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [It's the strangest thing about being human: to know so much, to communicate so much, and yet always to fall so drastically short of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/it-s-the-strangest-thing-about-being-human-to-know-so-much-to/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [The fictional narratives that television, film, and the news provide for girls and young women are appalling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/the-fictional-narratives-that-television-film-and-the-news-provide/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [“I don't want to sleep,' my mother said. 'I want -- for God's sake, I want to wake up.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/i-don-t-want-to-sleep-my-mother-said-i-want-for-god-s-sake-i-want-to/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [“It was supposed to say “Great Artist” on my tombstone, but if I died right now it would say “such a good teacher/​daughter/​friend” instead;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/it-was-supposed-to-say-great-artist-on-my-tombstone-but-if-i-died/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [“Live, my dear Nora. Satisfy your hunger. There's food all around you, you know.' 'What kind of food, I'd like to know?' 'Ah'-he smiled-…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/live-my-dear-nora-satisfy-your-hunger-there-s-food-all-around-you-you/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [I digress a lot - it's how I experience the world. I would like to write in a way that will convey that to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/i-digress-a-lot-it-s-how-i-experience-the-world-i-would-like-to-write/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [We think that - as kids, you know - that kids make up stories and live in a sort of fictional place, but that,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/we-think-that-as-kids-you-know-that-kids-make-up-stories-and-live-in/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [“It makes sense that if you stand almost daily in the middle of a perfect crescent of shore, with a vista open to eternity,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/it-makes-sense-that-if-you-stand-almost-daily-in-the-middle-of-a/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [“Once aware of my isolation, I was afraid not of it but of its interruption.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/once-aware-of-my-isolation-i-was-afraid-not-of-it-but-of-its/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [“who I am in my head, very few people really get to see that. Almost none. It’s the most precious gift I can give,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/who-i-am-in-my-head-very-few-people-really-get-to-see-that-almost/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [“My everyday Appleton life, my phones calls to my father, my occasional beers with friends, my Saturday-morning jobs around the reservoir - what was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/my-everyday-appleton-life-my-phones-calls-to-my-father-my-occasional/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) [Explore all 249 Claire Messud quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) ## More Great things quotes > [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/) [Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/) > [No matter how many great things you say about Jacques Pepin, there's always more. Through his books and videos, he taught me the importance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-kenji-lopez-alt/no-matter-how-many-great-things-you-say-about-jacques-pepin-there-s/) [J. Kenji Lopez-Alt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-kenji-lopez-alt/) > [Great things that can happen when you're doing a movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-l-brooks/great-things-that-can-happen-when-you-re-doing-a-movie/) [James L. Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-l-brooks/) > [Who can really be faithful in great things if he has not learned to be faithful in the things of daily life?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/who-can-really-be-faithful-in-great-things-if-he-has-not-learned-to/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [“Second letter from Mom: So! What if you colored the world? This still does not seem a great thing. In fact it seems very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elena-d-calin/second-letter-from-mom-so-what-if-you-colored-the-world-this-still/) [Elena D. Calin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elena-d-calin/) > [I have so much respect for the country, I don't like blanket indictments. There's a lot of really great things about this country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cris-collinsworth/i-have-so-much-respect-for-the-country-i-don-t-like-blanket/) [Cris Collinsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cris-collinsworth/) > [In presenting a mathematical argument the great thing is to give the educated reader the chance to catch on at once to the momentary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-edensor-littlewood/in-presenting-a-mathematical-argument-the-great-thing-is-to-give-the/) [John Edensor Littlewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-edensor-littlewood/) > [The great thing about the arts, and especially popular music, is that it really does cut across genres and races and classes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-raitt/the-great-thing-about-the-arts-and-especially-popular-music-is-that/) [Bonnie Raitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-raitt/) > [I don’t know, I don’t know that I’m missing anything. I just think too much sometimes. Sometimes I’m even happy because I’m so engaged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-buckley/i-don-t-know-i-don-t-know-that-i-m-missing-anything-i-just-think-too/) [Jeff Buckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-buckley/) > [The great thing about an independent film is that you're too busy working, and you're too busy hoping to God to get it done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-dowd/the-great-thing-about-an-independent-film-is-that-you-re-too-busy/) [Ann Dowd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-dowd/) > [Every great thing starts with an idea, followed by a doubt and finally a resolve to abandon or pursue. Victory is a treacherous journey.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dane-cook/every-great-thing-starts-with-an-idea-followed-by-a-doubt-and-finally/) [Dane Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dane-cook/) > [I have a large watch collection, and classic watches are especially important to me. I had a silver Rolex, and I actually gave it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate-berkus/i-have-a-large-watch-collection-and-classic-watches-are-especially/) [Nate Berkus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate-berkus/) > [That is one of the great things about Test cricket, the ball. Sometimes it swings conventionally, sometimes it doesn't and sometimes it reverses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-cook/that-is-one-of-the-great-things-about-test-cricket-the-ball-sometimes/) [Alastair Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-cook/) > [In the end things must be as they are and have always been--the great things remain for the great, the abysses for the profound,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/in-the-end-things-must-be-as-they-are-and-have-always-been-the-great/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Great men undertake great things because they are great; fools, because they think them easy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luc-de-clapiers/great-men-undertake-great-things-because-they-are-great-fools-because/) [Luc de Clapiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luc-de-clapiers/) [Browse all 1,881 Great things quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-things/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think that one of the great things about spending - as in my case - twenty-something years with somebody is that at some point you do love the actual person. 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