--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Love in action is harsh and dreadful when…" description: "\"“Love in action is harsh and dreadful when compared to love in dreams.”\" — Dorothy Day" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d96/dorothy-day-1629_dream_love-in-action-is-harsh-and-dreadful-whe_2229055.png" --- # Love in action is harsh and dreadful when compared to love… ![“Love in action is harsh and dreadful when compared to love in dreams.” quote by Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d96/dorothy-day-1629_dream_love-in-action-is-harsh-and-dreadful-whe_2229055.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d96/dorothy-day-1629_dream_love-in-action-is-harsh-and-dreadful-whe_2229055.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d96/dorothy-day-1629_dream_love-in-action-is-harsh-and-dreadful-whe_2229055.png) > ““Love in action is harsh and dreadful when compared to love in dreams.”” [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Love that is acted upon can be painful and demanding compared to idealized love in imagination. **In simple terms:** Action love can be harsh compared to dream love. Key Takeaway Embrace love’s challenges. Themes love action reality idealism Mood reflective serious Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - relationships - community service - personal growth Key Concepts Christian anarchism social activism Questions to Reflect On - How does real love differ from imagined love? - Can love’s hardships be a source of growth? A Different Perspective Dream love may overlook practical hardships. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) [Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Love In Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-in-dreams/) ## Related quotes > [Love in action is a harsh and dreadful thing compared with love in dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-in-action-is-a-harsh-and-dreadful-thing-compared-with-love-in/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Love in action is a harsh and dreadful thing compared to love in dreams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/love-in-action-is-a-harsh-and-dreadful-thing-compared-to-love-in/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [As Dostoevski said: 'Love in action is a harsh and dreadful thing compared with love in dreams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/as-dostoevski-said-love-in-action-is-a-harsh-and-dreadful-thing/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [“Dostoyevsky says, “love in action is a harsh and dreadful thing compared to love in dreams” (The Brothers Karamazov).”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kreeft/dostoyevsky-says-love-in-action-is-a-harsh-and-dreadful-thing/) [Peter Kreeft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kreeft/) > [“I am sorry I cannot say anything more comforting, for active love is a harsh and fearful thing compared with love in dreams. Love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/i-am-sorry-i-cannot-say-anything-more-comforting-for-active-love-is-a/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [... active love is a harsh and fearful thing compared with the love in dreams. Love in dreams thirsts for immediate action, quickly performed,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/active-love-is-a-harsh-and-fearful-thing-compared-with-the-love-in/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [“...for love in action is a harsh and dreadful thing compared with love in dreams. Love in dreams is greedy for immediate action, rapidly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/for-love-in-action-is-a-harsh-and-dreadful-thing-compared-with-love/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [“I am sorry I can say nothing more to console you, for love in action is a harsh and dreadful thing compared with love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/i-am-sorry-i-can-say-nothing-more-to-console-you-for-love-in-action/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [“...For active love is a harsh and fearful thing compared with love in dreams. Love in dreams thirsts for immediate action, quickly performed, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/for-active-love-is-a-harsh-and-fearful-thing-compared-with-love-in/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [“Active love is a harsh and fearful thing compared with love in dreams. Love in dreams thirsts for immediate action, quickly performed, and with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/active-love-is-a-harsh-and-fearful-thing-compared-with-love-in-dreams/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [“Never be frightened at your own faint-heartedness in attaining love. Don't be frightened overmuch even at your evil actions. I am sorry I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/never-be-frightened-at-your-own-faint-heartedness-in-attaining-love/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [“In the words of Dostoyevsky, “Active love is a harsh and fearful thing compared with love in dreams.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamin-goggin/in-the-words-of-dostoyevsky-active-love-is-a-harsh-and-fearful-thing/) Jamin Goggin > [“Reading a book about something can be an obstacle to doing it because it gives you the impression that you are doing what you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kreeft/reading-a-book-about-something-can-be-an-obstacle-to-doing-it-because/) [Peter Kreeft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kreeft/) > [“The air of a deposed prince. falsehood as restorative-if they wouldnt do that if they wouldnt do all that they do. the body as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-koertge/the-air-of-a-deposed-prince-falsehood-as-restorative-if-they-wouldnt/) [Ron Koertge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-koertge/) > [“One cannot prove anything here, but it is possible to be convinced.' How? By what?' By the experience of active love. Try to love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/one-cannot-prove-anything-here-but-it-is-possible-to-be-convinced-how/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) ## More by Dorothy Day > [“There was no attack on religion because people were generally indifferent to religion. They were neither hot nor cold. They were the tepid, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/there-was-no-attack-on-religion-because-people-were-generally/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [We must recognize the fact that many Nazis, Marxists and Fascists believe passionately in their fundamental rightness, and allow nothing to hinder them from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/we-must-recognize-the-fact-that-many-nazis-marxists-and-fascists/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [“Now don't think I've lost my mind - but I'll tell you, I'll look at some of the cards I have, some of Van…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/now-don-t-think-i-ve-lost-my-mind-but-i-ll-tell-you-i-ll-look-at-some/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [The Sexual Revolution is a complete rebellion against authority, natural and supernatural, even against the body and its needs, its natural functions of child…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/the-sexual-revolution-is-a-complete-rebellion-against-authority/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [Idealism in the young, I guess I'm saying, is curiosity as well as goodness trying to express itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/idealism-in-the-young-i-guess-i-m-saying-is-curiosity-as-well-as/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [Voluntary poverty isn't going around with some burlap bag around you and imitating the poor. It means being indifferent to the material, doing as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/voluntary-poverty-isn-t-going-around-with-some-burlap-bag-around-you/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [Women think with their whole bodies and they see things as a whole more than men do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/women-think-with-their-whole-bodies-and-they-see-things-as-a-whole/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [My whole life so far, my whole experience has been that our failure has been not to love enough. 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They didn't do anything to help…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/the-communists-in-cuba-didn-t-assist-castro-in-his-revolution-they/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [Dear God, please enlarge our hearts to love each other, to love our neighbor, to love our enemy as well as our friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/dear-god-please-enlarge-our-hearts-to-love-each-other-to-love-our/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [A conversion is a lonely experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/a-conversion-is-a-lonely-experience/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [The sense is always that community is natural to people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/the-sense-is-always-that-community-is-natural-to-people/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [“We must practice the presence of God. He said that when two or three are gathered together, there he is in the midst of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/we-must-practice-the-presence-of-god-he-said-that-when-two-or-three/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) [Explore all 220 Dorothy Day quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) ## More Dream quotes > [“Once we become sensitive to dreams, we discover that every dynamic in a dream is manifesting itself in some way in our practical lives”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-johnson/once-we-become-sensitive-to-dreams-we-discover-that-every-dynamic-in/) [Robert A. 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A willow catkin as big as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-shapero/not-that-it-matters-when-you-dream-there-s-no-outside-or-in-your-mind/) [Rich Shapero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-shapero/) > [Academically, I was never that interested. I skipped classes. My biggest dream was to have a coffee shop, but I had no idea how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-espinosa/academically-i-was-never-that-interested-i-skipped-classes-my-biggest/) [Daniel Espinosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-espinosa/) > [“As dreams are the healing songs from the wilderness of our unconscious - So wild animals, wild plants, wild landscapes are the healing dreams…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-pendell/as-dreams-are-the-healing-songs-from-the-wilderness-of-our/) [Dale Pendell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-pendell/) > [Alone in a world, With millions of souls Walking in circles Trapped in their dreams unhealthy, unclean walking in circles, now do not disturb…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-bennington/alone-in-a-world-with-millions-of-souls-walking-in-circles-trapped-in/) [Chester Bennington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-bennington/) > [“Doing the work to transform your dreams into reality is like walking across the earth. It can be that hard, and it can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dragos-bratasanu/doing-the-work-to-transform-your-dreams-into-reality-is-like-walking/) [Dragos Bratasanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dragos-bratasanu/) > [As far as Im concerned, I didnt dream - ever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-sturgeon/as-far-as-im-concerned-i-didnt-dream-ever/) [Theodore Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-sturgeon/) > [I have long felt that the way to keep children out of trouble is to keep them interested in things. Lecturing to children is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/i-have-long-felt-that-the-way-to-keep-children-out-of-trouble-is-to/) [Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/) > [I guess, it's a father's dream for his daughter to be known around the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liza-soberano/i-guess-it-s-a-father-s-dream-for-his-daughter-to-be-known-around-the/) [Liza Soberano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liza-soberano/) > [I am just enjoying the dream of being Milan coach at the age of 40.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennaro-gattuso/i-am-just-enjoying-the-dream-of-being-milan-coach-at-the-age-of-40/) [Gennaro Gattuso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennaro-gattuso/) > [Sometimes life seems like a dream, especially when I look down and see that I forgot to put on my pants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/sometimes-life-seems-like-a-dream-especially-when-i-look-down-and-see/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [“I had a dream. 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