--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: After watching what this purchase had…" description: "\"“After watching what this purchase had cost Irwin and Linda, Amy and I chose a different path. Love, we figured, may be the best thing that ever happen..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/682/david-james-duncan-8032_different-path_after-watching-what-this-purchase-had-co_909952.png" --- # After watching what this purchase had cost Irwin and… ![“After watching what this purchase had cost Irwin and Linda, Amy and I chose a different path. Love, we figured, may be the best thing that ever happens between two people. And that the best thing is of no worldly worth struck us a beautiful paradox--and an endangered one. We therefore began…” quote by David James Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/682/david-james-duncan-8032_different-path_after-watching-what-this-purchase-had-co_909952.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/682/david-james-duncan-8032_different-path_after-watching-what-this-purchase-had-co_909952.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/682/david-james-duncan-8032_different-path_after-watching-what-this-purchase-had-co_909952.png) > ““After watching what this purchase had cost Irwin and Linda, Amy and I chose a different path. Love, we figured, may be the best thing that ever happens between two people. And that the best thing is of no worldly worth struck us a beautiful paradox--and an endangered one. We therefore began fighting to defend the worthlessness of lovers everywhere in the only way we knew how: by vowing to remain as inseparable from each other, and as utterly useless to all opportunists, as the rest of our responsibilities would allow.”” [David James Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james-duncan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote suggests love’s value is paradoxically priceless yet worthless in material terms, urging a commitment to love that resists exploitation and societal expectations. **In simple terms:** Love is both priceless and worthless, so protect it from exploitation. Key Takeaway Cherish love beyond material gain. Themes love paradox commitment resistance values Mood reflective defiant Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - marriage - activism - personal relationships - community building Key Concepts existentialism relationship ethics social critique Questions to Reflect On - How do you protect love from being used as a tool? - What does “worthlessness” of lovers truly mean? A Different Perspective Love cannot be quantified, but society often tries to. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Defend Worthlessness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defend-worthlessness-1324716/) [Different path](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different-path/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Lovers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lovers/) [Path Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/path-love/) [Worthlessness Lovers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worthlessness-lovers-1324715/) ## Related quotes > [“What are the path of love and the path of meditation? 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Give it away, and soon your life will be filled with love, and you will have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-robbins/give-away-your-love-freely-and-without-expectation-give-it-away-and/) [John Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-robbins/) > [If there's no one in your life to love right now, love yourself. A large part of the path of love is learning to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/if-there-s-no-one-in-your-life-to-love-right-now-love-yourself-a/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [“Love is a foundation of an authentic power. If we follow the path of love, we will acquire everything that we want, and we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snezhana-djambazova-popordanoska-md-phd/love-is-a-foundation-of-an-authentic-power-if-we-follow-the-path-of/) [Snezhana Djambazova -Popordanoska MD, PhD](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snezhana-djambazova-popordanoska-md-phd/) > [The path of love is its own reward. Your love itself, that is what completes you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/the-path-of-love-is-its-own-reward-your-love-itself-that-is-what/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [“When you are doing things for the right reasons, you do not need to play by the rules, because there are no rules for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/when-you-are-doing-things-for-the-right-reasons-you-do-not-need-to/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [Go back, go back to sleep. Yes, you are allowed. You who have no Love in your heart, you can go back to sleep.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/go-back-go-back-to-sleep-yes-you-are-allowed-you-who-have-no-love-in/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [Thousands and thousands of incarnations and nothing to show for it. You must choose whether to follow the path of love or the path…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/thousands-and-thousands-of-incarnations-and-nothing-to-show-for-it/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [If I feel my heart pounding, I then know that I am on the path of love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-i-feel-my-heart-pounding-i-then-know-that-i-am-on-the-path-of-love/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I think our learning lies along the path of whatever it is we love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bach/i-think-our-learning-lies-along-the-path-of-whatever-it-is-we-love/) [Richard Bach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bach/) > [The path of love has many opponents - fear, self-pity, anxiety, hate, lust, greed, avarice - all the usual freinds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/the-path-of-love-has-many-opponents-fear-self-pity-anxiety-hate-lust/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [On the path of love we feel that if we love today, it's only because God is loving through us, because there is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/on-the-path-of-love-we-feel-that-if-we-love-today-it-s-only-because/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [If you live on the level of the Body and the Individual, you will get entangled in food, fun and frolic, ease, envy and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sathya-sai-baba/if-you-live-on-the-level-of-the-body-and-the-individual-you-will-get/) [Sathya Sai Baba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sathya-sai-baba/) ## More by David James Duncan > [“Because I wasn’t anything anymore. Not anythingI love or know or care about. Because thou shalt not kill, Kade. Thou shalt not kill. With…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james-duncan/because-i-wasn-t-anything-anymore-not-anythingi-love-or-know-or-care/) [David James Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james-duncan/) > [Our lack of community is intensely painful. A TV talk show is not community. A couple of hours in a church pew each Sabbath…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james-duncan/our-lack-of-community-is-intensely-painful-a-tv-talk-show-is-not/) [David James Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james-duncan/) > [“It was so good to see him in there, yet so funny to find him so much like me, and so tiny. 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But all of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james-duncan/i-truly-and-deeply-wanted-to-kill-him-and-i-believe-i-could-have-done/) [David James Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james-duncan/) > [“Papa was no longer fixing a carburetor: he was setting up a greasy little Cuban missile base smack-dab in the middle of Mama’s immaculate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james-duncan/papa-was-no-longer-fixing-a-carburetor-he-was-setting-up-a-greasy/) [David James Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james-duncan/) > [“The Austrian writer Robert Musil summed up the Fanatic's great rhetorical advantage in just ten words: There is no truth which stupidity can't make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james-duncan/the-austrian-writer-robert-musil-summed-up-the-fanatic-s-great/) [David James Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james-duncan/) > [“Is the work of sun worshippers to honor those who think they can see the sun? Or to worship the sun?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james-duncan/is-the-work-of-sun-worshippers-to-honor-those-who-think-they-can-see/) [David James Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james-duncan/) > [“Peter didn’t want to change the world: he wanted to fully comprehend it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james-duncan/peter-didn-t-want-to-change-the-world-he-wanted-to-fully-comprehend-it/) [David James Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james-duncan/) > [“It is a rare high school teacher who enjoys seeing their world being enormously improved upon by youths.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james-duncan/it-is-a-rare-high-school-teacher-who-enjoys-seeing-their-world-being/) [David James Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james-duncan/) > [The principles that will save Earth's life are the same principles that save the living souls of humans: ineluctable spiritual principles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james-duncan/the-principles-that-will-save-earth-s-life-are-the-same-principles/) [David James Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james-duncan/) > [“I’m just saying that his card-burning would have meant far more, on the day he did it, if he hadn’t already incinerated his life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james-duncan/i-m-just-saying-that-his-card-burning-would-have-meant-far-more-on/) [David James Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james-duncan/) > [“I gave him everything from my lunches I hate, which is called Charity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james-duncan/i-gave-him-everything-from-my-lunches-i-hate-which-is-called-charity/) [David James Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james-duncan/) > [“If we can’t be ballplayers together, maybe I can start bein’ a Buddhist.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james-duncan/if-we-can-t-be-ballplayers-together-maybe-i-can-start-bein-a-buddhist/) [David James Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james-duncan/) > [As a lifelong student of the world’s wisdom literature, it is my duty to inform students that “ridding the world of evil” is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james-duncan/as-a-lifelong-student-of-the-world-s-wisdom-literature-it-is-my-duty/) [David James Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james-duncan/) [Explore all 85 David James Duncan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james-duncan/) ## More Different path quotes > [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/) [G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/) > [“AUSTRALIA, LIKE THE UNITED STATES, experienced a different path to inclusive institutions than the one taken by England. The same revolutions that shook England…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daron-acemo-lu/australia-like-the-united-states-experienced-a-different-path-to/) [Daron Acemoğlu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daron-acemo-lu/) > [Sometimes you climb the mountain, and you fall and fail. Maybe there is a different path that will take you up. Sometimes a different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caterina-fake/sometimes-you-climb-the-mountain-and-you-fall-and-fail-maybe-there-is/) [Caterina Fake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caterina-fake/) > [“Ever since the day of the mistake with my Match. I've never known which life is my true one. Even with the reassurances of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-condie/ever-since-the-day-of-the-mistake-with-my-match-i-ve-never-known/) [Ally Condie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-condie/) > [Different victims, different survivors of different crimes will choose to pursue different paths. And hopefully, over time, we can collectively transform our culture into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chesa-boudin/different-victims-different-survivors-of-different-crimes-will-choose/) [Chesa Boudin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chesa-boudin/) > [You have so many different paths you can go down, but when you're in makeup or you're in hair and you're trusted for that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-mondo/you-have-so-many-different-paths-you-can-go-down-but-when-you-re-in/) [Brad Mondo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-mondo/) > [There are a lot of different paths through the jungle, but...the simplest thing you can do is make yourself useful. Be easy to work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-ford/there-are-a-lot-of-different-paths-through-the-jungle-but-the/) [Harrison Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-ford/) > [“Do you remember the books from our childhood? Those were you could decide yourself what the character should do next? 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You can’t just forget the very thing that molded you and gave you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/autumn-grey/my-past-was-and-is-who-i-am-what-i-am-you-can-t-just-forget-the-very/) [Autumn Grey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/autumn-grey/) [Browse all 248 Different path quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different-path/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“After watching what this purchase had cost Irwin and Linda, Amy and I chose a different path. Love, we figured, may be the best thing that ever happens between two people. And that the best thing is of no worldly worth struck us a beautiful paradox--and an endangered one. 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