--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ...there are only two things that really…" description: "\"“...there are only two things that really matter in life. Literature and love.”\" — Daphne Kalotay" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5aa/daphne-kalotay-32717_books_there-are-only-two-things-that-really-ma_520294.jpg" --- # ...there are only two things that really matter in life… ![“...there are only two things that really matter in life. Literature and love.” quote by Daphne Kalotay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5aa/daphne-kalotay-32717_books_there-are-only-two-things-that-really-ma_520294.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5aa/daphne-kalotay-32717_books_there-are-only-two-things-that-really-ma_520294.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5aa/daphne-kalotay-32717_books_there-are-only-two-things-that-really-ma_520294.jpg) > ““...there are only two things that really matter in life. Literature and love.”” [Daphne Kalotay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daphne-kalotay/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Literature and love are the two essential forces that give life meaning and depth. **In simple terms:** Books and love shape existence. Key Takeaway Cultivate both reading and relationships. Themes art emotion meaning Mood contemplative warm Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - education - personal relationships - creative work Key Concepts humanism aesthetics affection Questions to Reflect On - How do literature and love intersect in your life? - Which enriches you more, stories or relationships? A Different Perspective Other values like health or purpose also matter. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Literature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literature/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) ## Related quotes > [“That there are only two things that really matter in life. Literature and love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daphne-kalotay/that-there-are-only-two-things-that-really-matter-in-life-literature/) [Daphne Kalotay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daphne-kalotay/) > [We write from life and call it literature, and literature lives because we are in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-sionil-jos/we-write-from-life-and-call-it-literature-and-literature-lives/) [F. Sionil José](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-sionil-jos/) > [Literature is love. I think it went like this: drawings in the cave, sounds in the cave, songs in the cave, songs about us.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-myles/literature-is-love-i-think-it-went-like-this-drawings-in-the-cave/) [Eileen Myles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-myles/) > [“One of the most frustrating words in the human language, as far as I could tell, was love. So much meaning attached to this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-adornetto/one-of-the-most-frustrating-words-in-the-human-language-as-far-as-i-3/) [Alexandra Adornetto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-adornetto/) > [Reviewing the literature on love I noticed how few writers, male or female, talk about the impact of patriarchy, the way in which male…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/reviewing-the-literature-on-love-i-noticed-how-few-writers-male-or/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [There are a lot of things about Russian culture, art, music, photography and literature that I'm love with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-hince/there-are-a-lot-of-things-about-russian-culture-art-music-photography/) [Jamie Hince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-hince/) > [In literature, as in love, we are astonished at the choice made by other people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-maurois/in-literature-as-in-love-we-are-astonished-at-the-choice-made-by/) [Andre Maurois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-maurois/) > [“Literature is a love that won’t let you down or show its true colors after some time goes by. You know what it’s about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-e-hodges/literature-is-a-love-that-won-t-let-you-down-or-show-its-true-colors/) [Jason E. Hodges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-e-hodges/) > [“This was another of our fears: that Life wouldn't turn out to be like Literature. Look at our parents--were they the stuff of Literature?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barnes/this-was-another-of-our-fears-that-life-wouldn-t-turn-out-to-be-like-2/) [Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/) > [“In literature, as in love, we are astonished at what is chosen by others. —ANDRÉ MAUROIS”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harville-hendrix/in-literature-as-in-love-we-are-astonished-at-what-is-chosen-by/) [Harville Hendrix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harville-hendrix/) > [I have preferred to teach my students not English literature but my love for certain authors, or, even better, certain pages, or even better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-luis-borges/i-have-preferred-to-teach-my-students-not-english-literature-but-my/) [Jorge Luis Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-luis-borges/) > [Humans were so preoccupied with love. They were all desperate to form an attachment to one person they could refer to as their other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-adornetto/humans-were-so-preoccupied-with-love-they-were-all-desperate-to-form/) [Alexandra Adornetto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-adornetto/) > [To begin with, let us take the following motto...Literature is Love. Now we can continue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/to-begin-with-let-us-take-the-following-motto-literature-is-love-now/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) > [In literature as in love, we are astonished at what is chosen by others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-maurois/in-literature-as-in-love-we-are-astonished-at-what-is-chosen-by-others/) [Andre Maurois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-maurois/) > [I have a passion for children's literature. Young adult literature. I love it. I've always loved it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/i-have-a-passion-for-children-s-literature-young-adult-literature-i/) [Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) ## More by Daphne Kalotay > [“No, solitude did not trouble her. She could spend long minutes gazing out the window, hours listening to the BBC on the public radio…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daphne-kalotay/no-solitude-did-not-trouble-her-she-could-spend-long-minutes-gazing/) [Daphne Kalotay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daphne-kalotay/) > [“...she immediately became the person they believed her to be: a peculiar, impatient girl, attractive enough yet too old and odd for the village…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daphne-kalotay/she-immediately-became-the-person-they-believed-her-to-be-a-peculiar/) [Daphne Kalotay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daphne-kalotay/) > [“It was the comfort of knowing that she was not quite so strange, that there were other people who found delight in private challenges…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daphne-kalotay/it-was-the-comfort-of-knowing-that-she-was-not-quite-so-strange-that/) [Daphne Kalotay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daphne-kalotay/) > [“It wasn't that she didn't believe in love; but she no longer believed in it for herself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daphne-kalotay/it-wasn-t-that-she-didn-t-believe-in-love-but-she-no-longer-believed/) [Daphne Kalotay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daphne-kalotay/) > [“Even now she felt the need to add, "At a certain point I realized that everyone has something like this." "What do you mean,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daphne-kalotay/even-now-she-felt-the-need-to-add-at-a-certain-point-i-realized-that/) [Daphne Kalotay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daphne-kalotay/) > [“I remember when I left Hungary," Zoltan said, "understanding so completely that literature could save me as much as it could get me killed.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daphne-kalotay/i-remember-when-i-left-hungary-zoltan-said-understanding-so/) [Daphne Kalotay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daphne-kalotay/) > [“That there are only two things that really matter in life. Literature and love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daphne-kalotay/that-there-are-only-two-things-that-really-matter-in-life-literature/) [Daphne Kalotay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daphne-kalotay/) > [“...the way the diamond caused people to reasses her--their palpable appreciation that Drew was loved by someone, was someone worth loving”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daphne-kalotay/the-way-the-diamond-caused-people-to-reasses-her-their-palpable/) [Daphne Kalotay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daphne-kalotay/) > [“How lucky Drew was to have this mother of hers, this constant, reliable, if at times irritating presence in her life--this mother, like so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daphne-kalotay/how-lucky-drew-was-to-have-this-mother-of-hers-this-constant-reliable/) [Daphne Kalotay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daphne-kalotay/) > [“...She looked at the people around her and felt not just that she was surrounded by strangers, but that she herself was strange, somehow,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daphne-kalotay/she-looked-at-the-people-around-her-and-felt-not-just-that-she-was/) [Daphne Kalotay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daphne-kalotay/) > [“Just like with love. It's all or nothing. ... That's why love is dangerous. We stand up for love. We take risks. Well, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daphne-kalotay/just-like-with-love-it-s-all-or-nothing-that-s-why-love-is-dangerous/) [Daphne Kalotay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daphne-kalotay/) > [“One needed, she saw now, only a few belongings, just as one needed only a few close friends, and a single passion - it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daphne-kalotay/one-needed-she-saw-now-only-a-few-belongings-just-as-one-needed-only/) [Daphne Kalotay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daphne-kalotay/) > [“Of course he knew what kinds of thoughts these were: the not-always-true ones, conveniently forgetting the other times, when he and Christine had bickered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daphne-kalotay/of-course-he-knew-what-kinds-of-thoughts-these-were-the-not-always/) [Daphne Kalotay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daphne-kalotay/) > [“Even the grandest lives come down to a few people and places. Loved ones, your daily work, your neighborhood. I don't mean that in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daphne-kalotay/even-the-grandest-lives-come-down-to-a-few-people-and-places-loved/) [Daphne Kalotay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daphne-kalotay/) [Explore all 15 Daphne Kalotay quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daphne-kalotay/) ## More Books quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/) Christopher K. Krebs > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/) Markus Herz > [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) [Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“...there are only two things that really matter in life. Literature and love.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Daphne Kalotay" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daphne-kalotay/there-are-only-two-things-that-really-matter-in-life-literature-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Books" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daphne-kalotay/there-are-only-two-things-that-really-matter-in-life-literature-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5aa/daphne-kalotay-32717_books_there-are-only-two-things-that-really-ma_520294.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5aa/daphne-kalotay-32717_books_there-are-only-two-things-that-really-ma_520294.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5aa/daphne-kalotay-32717_books_there-are-only-two-things-that-really-ma_520294.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“...there are only two things that really matter in life. 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