--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We're under obligation to love - that's…" description: "\"We're under obligation to love - that's the commandment.\" — Dorothy Day" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b25/dorothy-day-1629_commandment_we-re-under-obligation-to-love-that-s-th_3052886.png" --- # We're under obligation to love - that's the commandment. ![“We're under obligation to love - that's the commandment.” quote by Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b25/dorothy-day-1629_commandment_we-re-under-obligation-to-love-that-s-th_3052886.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b25/dorothy-day-1629_commandment_we-re-under-obligation-to-love-that-s-th_3052886.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b25/dorothy-day-1629_commandment_we-re-under-obligation-to-love-that-s-th_3052886.png) > “We're under obligation to love - that's the commandment.” [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. Advocates love as a moral duty, framing it as an imperative rather than optional. **In simple terms:** Love is a duty we must fulfill. Key Takeaway Act lovingly as a moral obligation. Themes ethics love duty Mood thoughtful ethical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - community service - family care - social activism Key Concepts moral imperative compassion Questions to Reflect On - How does love as a command affect you? - When does love become self‑sacrificial? A Different Perspective May ignore personal boundaries. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Commandment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commandment/) [Commandments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commandments/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Love Commandment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-commandment-363209/) [Obligation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obligation/) [Obligation Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obligation-love-1236353/) [Responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/responsibility/) ## Related quotes > [“Eve is a figure for the soul that each human should love. 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I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sathya-sai-baba/i-have-come-to-light-the-lamp-of-love-in-your-hearts-to-see-that-it/) [Sathya Sai Baba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sathya-sai-baba/) > [When we're true to ourselves, we become instruments of truth for the planet. Because we're all connected, we touch the lives of everyone around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-moorjani/when-we-re-true-to-ourselves-we-become-instruments-of-truth-for-the/) [Anita Moorjani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-moorjani/) > [“Insofar as the Church is a community of pardon it is an epiphany of the Divine Love, Agape.…This love is the key to everything,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-merton-institute-for-contemplative-living/insofar-as-the-church-is-a-community-of-pardon-it-is-an-epiphany-of/) [The Merton Institute for Contemplative Living](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-merton-institute-for-contemplative-living/) > [“Life is duty and obligation, therefore love, too, is a duty. It's as if God sent it to me,' she said, looking up at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-goncharov/life-is-duty-and-obligation-therefore-love-too-is-a-duty-it-s-as-if/) [Ivan Goncharov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-goncharov/) > [Georgians understand obligation, love of family, and payment plans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-abrams/georgians-understand-obligation-love-of-family-and-payment-plans/) [Stacey Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-abrams/) > [“Love, then, is ‘the fulfilling of the Law’. Love is the rule that contains all the other rules. Love is the commandment that justifies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/love-then-is-the-fulfilling-of-the-law-love-is-the-rule-that-contains/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“We have an obligation not only to love each other but also in our love to make ourselves as loveable as possible so that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-of-saint-thierry/we-have-an-obligation-not-only-to-love-each-other-but-also-in-our/) [William of Saint Thierry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-of-saint-thierry/) > [And, Kar, love is not a commandment, it is a need, as real as eating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-clement-davies/and-kar-love-is-not-a-commandment-it-is-a-need-as-real-as-eating/) [David Clement-Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-clement-davies/) > [“I consider myself fortunate for no longer having family, as it relieves me of the obligation to love someone, which I would surely find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-pessoa/i-consider-myself-fortunate-for-no-longer-having-family-as-it/) [Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/) > [“It is . . . important that we be loving and kind to members of our own faith, regardless of their level of commitment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-important-that-we-be-loving-and-kind-to-members-of-our-own/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I cannot respond to the call, the request, the obligation, or even the love of another, without sacrificing the other other, the other others”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-derrida/i-cannot-respond-to-the-call-the-request-the-obligation-or-even-the/) [Jacques Derrida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-derrida/) ## 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. This conviction brought me to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/my-whole-life-so-far-my-whole-experience-has-been-that-our-failure/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [I think one of the things we must constantly keep in mind is, 'If anybody hits you on one cheek, turn the other.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/i-think-one-of-the-things-we-must-constantly-keep-in-mind-is-if/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [It is only through religion that communism can be achieved, and has been achieved over and over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/it-is-only-through-religion-that-communism-can-be-achieved-and-has/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [The Communists in Cuba didn't assist Castro in his revolution. They weren't on the side of the students. 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 Commandment quotes > [“Eve is a figure for the soul that each human should love. The commandment to be fruitful and multiply did not originally refer to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-greenblatt/eve-is-a-figure-for-the-soul-that-each-human-should-love-the/) [Stephen Greenblatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-greenblatt/) > [“The leader’s commandment is made up of pledges to solve local and global problems, and not to create more problems to add to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/the-leader-s-commandment-is-made-up-of-pledges-to-solve-local-and/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [Here is your government at work. A congressman from Colorado said he wants to draft a rule that would make it unethical to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/here-is-your-government-at-work-a-congressman-from-colorado-said-he/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [“I had broken the most basic commandment of our culture: Thou shalt pretend there is nothing wrong.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derrick-jensen/i-had-broken-the-most-basic-commandment-of-our-culture-thou-shalt/) [Derrick Jensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derrick-jensen/) > [But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the LORD charged you, to love the LORD…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-morell/but-take-diligent-heed-to-do-the-commandment-and-the-law-which-moses/) [Thomas Morell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-morell/) > [The second commandment is "Thou shall not construct any graven images." Is this really the pinnacle of what we can achieve morally? The second…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/the-second-commandment-is-thou-shall-not-construct-any-graven-images/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [The second commandment that Jesus referred to was not to love others instead of ourselves, but to love them as ourselves. Before we can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-warner/the-second-commandment-that-jesus-referred-to-was-not-to-love-others/) [Jim Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-warner/) > [“The eleventh commandment of art: thou shalt not be boring.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-m-driscoll/the-eleventh-commandment-of-art-thou-shalt-not-be-boring/) [W.M. Driscoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-m-driscoll/) > [“128. Matthew 22:36-37 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-jackson/128-matthew-22-36-37-love-the-lord-your-god-with-all-your-heart-and/) [Lois Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-jackson/) > [Righteous marriage is a commandment and an essential step in the process of creating a loving family relationship that can be perpetuated beyond the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-a-bednar/righteous-marriage-is-a-commandment-and-an-essential-step-in-the/) [David A. Bednar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-a-bednar/) > [“It is highly significant, perplexing to say the least, that we have been bound for thousands of years to a commandment that hardly anyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-miller-the-drama-of-the-gifted-child/it-is-highly-significant-perplexing-to-say-the-least-that-we-have/) [Alice MIller, The Drama of the gifted child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-miller-the-drama-of-the-gifted-child/) > [Loving your neighbour as much as yourself is practically bloody impossible? You might as well have a commandment that states,'Thou shalt fly'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/loving-your-neighbour-as-much-as-yourself-is-practically-bloody/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) > [Now we must remark, that there are two parts in the Commandment-the first forbids the erection of a graven image, or any likeness; the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/now-we-must-remark-that-there-are-two-parts-in-the-commandment-the/) [John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/) > [Your very eyes. How they have always been for me the command to obey, the inviolable and beautiful commandment. No, no, I'm not telling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-walser/your-very-eyes-how-they-have-always-been-for-me-the-command-to-obey/) [Robert Walser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-walser/) > [“Superficially, the Fourth Commandment can be regarded as a kind of life insurance for old people, which was perhaps necessary in biblical times but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-miller-the-drama-of-the-gifted-child/superficially-the-fourth-commandment-can-be-regarded-as-a-kind-of/) [Alice MIller, The Drama of the gifted child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-miller-the-drama-of-the-gifted-child/) [Browse all 211 Commandment quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commandment/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We're under obligation to love - that's the commandment.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Dorothy Day" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/we-re-under-obligation-to-love-that-s-the-commandment/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Commandment" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/we-re-under-obligation-to-love-that-s-the-commandment/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b25/dorothy-day-1629_commandment_we-re-under-obligation-to-love-that-s-th_3052886.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b25/dorothy-day-1629_commandment_we-re-under-obligation-to-love-that-s-th_3052886.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b25/dorothy-day-1629_commandment_we-re-under-obligation-to-love-that-s-th_3052886.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We're under obligation to love - that's the commandment.” — Dorothy Day", "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": "Dorothy Day", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We're under obligation to love -...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/we-re-under-obligation-to-love-that-s-the-commandment/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/we-re-under-obligation-to-love-that-s-the-commandment/#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 } } ] } ```