--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But I finally concluded that it is an…" description: "\"But I finally concluded that it is an inalienable right of lovers everywhere to become temporarily worthless to the world, it may even be their duty.\" ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/602/david-james-duncan-8032_duty_but-i-finally-concluded-that-it-is-an-in_665053.png" --- # But I finally concluded that it is an inalienable right of… ![“But I finally concluded that it is an inalienable right of lovers everywhere to become temporarily worthless to the world, it may even be their duty.” quote by David James Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/602/david-james-duncan-8032_duty_but-i-finally-concluded-that-it-is-an-in_665053.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/602/david-james-duncan-8032_duty_but-i-finally-concluded-that-it-is-an-in_665053.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/602/david-james-duncan-8032_duty_but-i-finally-concluded-that-it-is-an-in_665053.png) > “But I finally concluded that it is an inalienable right of lovers everywhere to become temporarily worthless to the world, it may even be their duty.” [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. Lovers may willingly become insignificant to society, seeing it as a temporary duty to focus on their bond. **In simple terms:** Lovers sometimes choose to be ignored for love. Key Takeaway Respect the choice to prioritize love over external validation. Themes love identity social expectations self-worth Mood thoughtful introspective Type philosophical romantic When to use this quote - marriage - long‑distance relationships - creative collaborations Key Concepts existentialism relationship dynamics personal autonomy Questions to Reflect On - Is temporary worthlessness healthy for a relationship? - When should lovers re‑engage with society? A Different Perspective Choosing obscurity can strain personal growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Concluded Inalienable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/concluded-inalienable-5291687/) [Duty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/duty/) [Inalienable Right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inalienable-right-242631/) [Lovers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lovers/) [Lovers Temporarily](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lovers-temporarily-5291689/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Temporarily Worthless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/temporarily-worthless-5291688/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [Worthless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worthless/) [Worthless World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worthless-world-4765258/) ## Related quotes > [“Nothing in this world is worthless, yet the world itself is of no worth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/waseem-sajad/nothing-in-this-world-is-worthless-yet-the-world-itself-is-of-no-worth/) [Waseem Sajad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/waseem-sajad/) > [“The obverse of this freedom, of course, is that your work is so meaningless, so fully for yourself alone, and so worthless to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-dillard/the-obverse-of-this-freedom-of-course-is-that-your-work-is-so/) [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) > [“The pursuit of unhappiness is an inalienable right of all humans.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/the-pursuit-of-unhappiness-is-an-inalienable-right-of-all-humans/) [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) > [“I've come to realize that one of the perks of a free society is the inalienable right to debase ourselves in a wide variety…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-purcell/i-ve-come-to-realize-that-one-of-the-perks-of-a-free-society-is-the/) [Steve Purcell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-purcell/) > [I hold it to be the inalienable right of anybody to go to hell in his own way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-frost/i-hold-it-to-be-the-inalienable-right-of-anybody-to-go-to-hell-in-his/) [Robert Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-frost/) > [Passover affirms the great truth that liberty is the inalienable right of every human being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morris-joseph/passover-affirms-the-great-truth-that-liberty-is-the-inalienable/) [Morris Joseph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morris-joseph/) > [Human beings have an inalienable right to invent themselves; when that right is pre-empted it is called brain-washing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germaine-greer/human-beings-have-an-inalienable-right-to-invent-themselves-when-that/) [Germaine Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germaine-greer/) > [It is the inalienable right of all to be happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-cady-stanton/it-is-the-inalienable-right-of-all-to-be-happy/) [Elizabeth Cady Stanton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-cady-stanton/) > [Global commerce is driven by a single conviction: the inalienable right to earn profit, regardless of any human cost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/global-commerce-is-driven-by-a-single-conviction-the-inalienable/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [A free citizen in a free state, it seems to me, has an inalienable right to play with whomsoever he will, so long as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/a-free-citizen-in-a-free-state-it-seems-to-me-has-an-inalienable/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [Human beings have an inalienable right to invent themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germaine-greer/human-beings-have-an-inalienable-right-to-invent-themselves/) [Germaine Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germaine-greer/) > [In our country we ask no toleration for religion and its free exercise, but we claim it as an inalienable right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-schaff/in-our-country-we-ask-no-toleration-for-religion-and-its-free/) [Philip Schaff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-schaff/) > [The most tyrannical of governments are those which make crimes of opinions, for everyone has an inalienable right to his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/the-most-tyrannical-of-governments-are-those-which-make-crimes-of/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [ \[Religious liberty was\] in its nature an inalienable right ... because the opinions of men, depending only upon the evidence contemplated by their minds,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/religious-liberty-was-in-its-nature-an-inalienable-right-because-the/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) ## 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. "Nice kingdom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james-duncan/it-was-so-good-to-see-him-in-there-yet-so-funny-to-find-him-so-much/) [David James Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james-duncan/) > [“Bobby Edson, like most coaches, was a kind of mystic: he believed the cosmos was endowed with an ineffable muffling system that rendered all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james-duncan/bobby-edson-like-most-coaches-was-a-kind-of-mystic-he-believed-the/) [David James Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james-duncan/) > [--I truly and deeply wanted to kill him. And I believe I could have done it, with nothing but my hands. 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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 Duty quotes > [I pray that wherever we are and whatever duties we have in the priesthood of God, we will be united in the cause to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/i-pray-that-wherever-we-are-and-whatever-duties-we-have-in-the/) [Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/) > [Few political debates have been as divisive as the European one. I fought as hard as I could on the Remain side, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damian-green/few-political-debates-have-been-as-divisive-as-the-european-one-i/) [Damian Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damian-green/) > [I'm a strange mixture of my mother's curiosity; my father, who grew up the son of the manse in a Presbyterian family, who had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-murdoch/i-m-a-strange-mixture-of-my-mother-s-curiosity-my-father-who-grew-up/) [Rupert Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-murdoch/) > [“Is that what they teach you at the convent? That the gods demand the hearts from our bodies?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-lafevers/is-that-what-they-teach-you-at-the-convent-that-the-gods-demand-the/) [Robin LaFevers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-lafevers/) > [The less we show our love to a woman, Or please her less, and neglect our duty, The more we trap and ruin her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-pushkin/the-less-we-show-our-love-to-a-woman-or-please-her-less-and-neglect/) [Alexander Pushkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-pushkin/) > [We can find common qualities and common values that have made Britain the country it is. Our belief in tolerance and liberty which shines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-brown/we-can-find-common-qualities-and-common-values-that-have-made-britain/) [Gordon Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-brown/) > [Consideration is the soil in which wisdom may be expected to grow, and strength be given to every up-springing plant of duty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/consideration-is-the-soil-in-which-wisdom-may-be-expected-to-grow-and/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [“You have a right to be sad, and a duty to move on. Only wins who wipes the tears, gather strength and move forward.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusto-branco/you-have-a-right-to-be-sad-and-a-duty-to-move-on-only-wins-who-wipes/) [Augusto Branco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusto-branco/) > [Our duty as Christians is always to keep heaven in our eye and earth under our feet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-henry/our-duty-as-christians-is-always-to-keep-heaven-in-our-eye-and-earth/) [Matthew Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-henry/) > [May God bless each of us in our calls to serve. May our faith strengthen as we serve in righteousness, faithfully keeping the commandments.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-tom-perry/may-god-bless-each-of-us-in-our-calls-to-serve-may-our-faith/) [L. Tom Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-tom-perry/) > [Regardless of how you feel about war and peace those serving military are doing a duty for the rest of us and they're protecting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-cardellini/regardless-of-how-you-feel-about-war-and-peace-those-serving-military/) [Linda Cardellini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-cardellini/) > [“Duty is a done deal.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/duty-is-a-done-deal/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [Politics...You see, it depends on what kind of politics. What we did during my father's generation was a duty. And it was beautiful because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/politics-you-see-it-depends-on-what-kind-of-politics-what-we-did/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [I do not so much rejoice that God hath made me to be a Queen, as to be a Queen over so thankful a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-i/i-do-not-so-much-rejoice-that-god-hath-made-me-to-be-a-queen-as-to-be/) [Elizabeth I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-i/) > [The whole duty of man is summed up in obedience to God's will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/the-whole-duty-of-man-is-summed-up-in-obedience-to-god-s-will/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) [Browse all 5,178 Duty quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/duty/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "But I finally concluded that it is an inalienable right of lovers everywhere to become temporarily worthless to the world, it may even be their duty.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David James Duncan" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james-duncan/but-i-finally-concluded-that-it-is-an-inalienable-right-of-lovers/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Duty" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james-duncan/but-i-finally-concluded-that-it-is-an-inalienable-right-of-lovers/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/602/david-james-duncan-8032_duty_but-i-finally-concluded-that-it-is-an-in_665053.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/602/david-james-duncan-8032_duty_but-i-finally-concluded-that-it-is-an-in_665053.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/602/david-james-duncan-8032_duty_but-i-finally-concluded-that-it-is-an-in_665053.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“But I finally concluded that it is an inalienable right of lovers everywhere to become temporarily worthless…” — David James Duncan", "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": "David James Duncan", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james-duncan/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "But I finally concluded that it...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james-duncan/but-i-finally-concluded-that-it-is-an-inalienable-right-of-lovers/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james-duncan/but-i-finally-concluded-that-it-is-an-inalienable-right-of-lovers/#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 } } ] } ```