--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: This is how life works. Deciding whom to…" description: "\"This is how life works. Deciding whom to love is not an alien form of decision-making , a romantic interlude in the midst of normal life. Instead, deci..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b6/david-brooks-644_aliens_this-is-how-life-works-deciding-whom-to_896290.png" --- # This is how life works. Deciding whom to love is not an… ![“This is how life works. Deciding whom to love is not an alien form of decision-making , a romantic interlude in the midst of normal life. Instead, decisions about whom to love are more intense versions of the sorts of decisions we make throughout the course of our existence, from what kind of…” quote by David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b6/david-brooks-644_aliens_this-is-how-life-works-deciding-whom-to_896290.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b6/david-brooks-644_aliens_this-is-how-life-works-deciding-whom-to_896290.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b6/david-brooks-644_aliens_this-is-how-life-works-deciding-whom-to_896290.png) > “This is how life works. Deciding whom to love is not an alien form of decision-making , a romantic interlude in the midst of normal life. Instead, decisions about whom to love are more intense versions of the sorts of decisions we make throughout the course of our existence, from what kind of gelato to order to what career to pursue. Living is an inherently emotional business.” [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Love decisions are intense, everyday choices that shape our lives, not separate romantic episodes. **In simple terms:** Choosing who to love is a deep, everyday decision. Key Takeaway Treat love like any other important life choice. Themes relationships decision-making emotion life philosophy Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - dating - marriage - friendship - career choices - personal growth Key Concepts psychology values intimacy Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance emotion and reason in love? - Can love be a strategic decision? A Different Perspective Romantic love also involves irrational impulses that defy rational analysis. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Aliens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aliens/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision/) [Decision making](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision-making/) [Emotional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotional/) [Existence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence/) [Gelato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gelato/) [Intense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intense/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-work/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Normal life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/normal-life/) [Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order/) ## Related quotes > [When it comes to deciding between your love and your truth, truth has to be the decisive factor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/when-it-comes-to-deciding-between-your-love-and-your-truth-truth-has/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [“Deciding whom to love is an inherently emotional business.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/deciding-whom-to-love-is-an-inherently-emotional-business/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [“If marriage is about deciding to love on a daily basis, I have woken up to a no-brainer every day since.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-marriage-is-about-deciding-to-love-on-a-daily-basis-i-have-woken/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Nothing changes the environment like one person deciding to love another, no matter what.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/nothing-changes-the-environment-like-one-person-deciding-to-love/) [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) > [“What changes a life is not simply learning more, though education is important. What changes a life is making decisions − the best decisions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-goodier/what-changes-a-life-is-not-simply-learning-more-though-education-is/) [Steve Goodier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-goodier/) > [The fine art of executive decision consists in not deciding questions that are not now pertinent, in not deciding prematurely, in not making decisions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-barnard/the-fine-art-of-executive-decision-consists-in-not-deciding-questions/) [Chester Barnard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-barnard/) > [I'm very aware that we make these decisions toward love or hate every day. I certainly don't have the stamina to live through each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamaica-kincaid/i-m-very-aware-that-we-make-these-decisions-toward-love-or-hate-every/) [Jamaica Kincaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamaica-kincaid/) > [My dad always tell me to make decisions from love and not from fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rashida-jones/my-dad-always-tell-me-to-make-decisions-from-love-and-not-from-fear/) [Rashida Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rashida-jones/) > [I have a good brain on me but I've never really used it when it came to decisions about love... 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First, any love for my father that might have remained either…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/but-in-that-one-little-window-of-time-many-lasting-decisions-were/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [For me, the litmus test to know whether or not I'm doing the right thing is to examine whether my decisions are love-based or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-gant/for-me-the-litmus-test-to-know-whether-or-not-i-m-doing-the-right/) [Robert Gant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-gant/) > [“I spent the next couple of hours either walking around with a gelato in my hand or on my knees in church asking to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-leslie/i-spent-the-next-couple-of-hours-either-walking-around-with-a-gelato/) [Mark Leslie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-leslie/) > [“I scowled. "Shut up." "We should play Go Fish later." "No." "Mah-jong? Bridge?" "What are you, an old lady?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenna-evans-welch/i-scowled-shut-up-we-should-play-go-fish-later-no-mah-jong-bridge/) [Jenna Evans Welch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenna-evans-welch/) ## More by David Brooks > [The brain is not the mind. It is probably impossible to look at a map of brain activity and predict or even understand the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/the-brain-is-not-the-mind-it-is-probably-impossible-to-look-at-a-map/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [When you're running for president, you're a guest in the living room for four years. 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I think free trade has been wonderful for America on balance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/trade-has-suddenly-become-massively-unpopular-i-think-that-s/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [Politics is based on social identity, and so, again, there is going to be differences between rural and urban and between left and right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/politics-is-based-on-social-identity-and-so-again-there-is-going-to/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [Pain now is better than pain deferred.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/pain-now-is-better-than-pain-deferred/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [It’s worth noting that you can devote your life to community service and be a total schmuck. You can spend your life on Wall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/it-s-worth-noting-that-you-can-devote-your-life-to-community-service/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [If it feels all right for you, it's probably OK.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/if-it-feels-all-right-for-you-it-s-probably-ok/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [I do think Donald Trump is a fundamentally unstabilizing force and that the people who swore to uphold the Constitution are going to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/i-do-think-donald-trump-is-a-fundamentally-unstabilizing-force-and/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [Tim Kaine has been obviously a governor. He's been a senator. He's one of the smartest rising stars in the Democratic Party. 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