--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The only way to retain love is to give it…" description: "\"The only way to retain love is to give it away.\" — Elbert Hubbard" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d4/elbert-hubbard-510_away-from-love_the-only-way-to-retain-love-is-to-give-i_1749130.png" --- # The only way to retain love is to give it away. ![“The only way to retain love is to give it away.” quote by Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d4/elbert-hubbard-510_away-from-love_the-only-way-to-retain-love-is-to-give-i_1749130.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d4/elbert-hubbard-510_away-from-love_the-only-way-to-retain-love-is-to-give-i_1749130.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d4/elbert-hubbard-510_away-from-love_the-only-way-to-retain-love-is-to-give-i_1749130.png) > “The only way to retain love is to give it away.” [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Love thrives when shared; retaining love requires giving it away, not hoarding. **In simple terms:** Giving love away keeps it alive. Key Takeaway Practice generosity in relationships. Themes love generosity relationships selflessness Mood warm inspirational reflective Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - marriage counseling - friendship building - community service - volunteering Key Concepts philosophy psychology human connection empathy Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance giving and self‑care? - What does love mean to you? A Different Perspective Giving without boundaries can lead to burnout if not balanced. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Away from love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/away-from-love/) [Deep love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deep-love/) [Falling in love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/falling-in-love/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Giving love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving-love/) [Inspirational romance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational-romance/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Love grows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-grows/) [Love will find a way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-will-find-a-way/) [True love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-love/) ## Related quotes > [Love is everything it's cracked up to be. 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Love in this second sense - love as distinct from 'being in love'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/ceasing-to-be-in-love-need-not-mean-ceasing-to-love-love-in-this/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“...real deep romantic love, the kind that twists you and wrings you out and makes you breathe through the nostrils of your beloved.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/real-deep-romantic-love-the-kind-that-twists-you-and-wrings-you-out/) [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) > [Losing the future is the best thing that ever happened to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-french/losing-the-future-is-the-best-thing-that-ever-happened-to-me/) [Marilyn French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-french/) > [“Being in love is a good thing, but it is not the best thing. There are many things below it, but there are also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/being-in-love-is-a-good-thing-but-it-is-not-the-best-thing-there-are/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) ## More by Elbert Hubbard > [The teacher is one who makes two ideas grow where only one grew before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/the-teacher-is-one-who-makes-two-ideas-grow-where-only-one-grew-before/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [The highest reward that God gives us for good work is the ability to do better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/the-highest-reward-that-god-gives-us-for-good-work-is-the-ability-to/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [Art is nothing; it's a way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/art-is-nothing-it-s-a-way/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [Library: A place where the dead lie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/library-a-place-where-the-dead-lie/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [“If we cannot be happy and powerful and prey on others, we invent conscience and prey on ourselves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/if-we-cannot-be-happy-and-powerful-and-prey-on-others-we-invent/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [The poor and ignorant will continue to lie and steal as long as the rich and educated show them how.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/the-poor-and-ignorant-will-continue-to-lie-and-steal-as-long-as-the/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [So long as governments set the example of killing their enemies, private individuals will occasionally kill theirs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/so-long-as-governments-set-the-example-of-killing-their-enemies/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [If I supply you with a thought, you may remember it and you may not. But if I can make you think a thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/if-i-supply-you-with-a-thought-you-may-remember-it-and-you-may-not/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 A conservative is a man who is too cowardly to fight and too fat to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/1-2-3-4-5-a-conservative-is-a-man-who-is-too-cowardly-to-fight-and/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [The great man is not so great as folks think, and the dull man is not quite so stupid as he seems. The difference…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/the-great-man-is-not-so-great-as-folks-think-and-the-dull-man-is-not/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [Every knock is a boost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/every-knock-is-a-boost/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [What boy well raised can compare with your street gamin who has the knowledge and the shrewdness of a grown-up broker.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/what-boy-well-raised-can-compare-with-your-street-gamin-who-has-the/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [Don't make excuses, make good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/don-t-make-excuses-make-good/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [What people need and what they want may be very different… Teachers are those who educate the people to appreciate the things they need.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/what-people-need-and-what-they-want-may-be-very-different-teachers/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [Men who sit back and pride themselves on their culture haven't any to speak of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/men-who-sit-back-and-pride-themselves-on-their-culture-haven-t-any-to/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) [Explore all 506 Elbert Hubbard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) ## More Away from love quotes > [The sangha is a community where there should be harmony and peace and understanding. 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Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [Most mothers think that to keep young people away from love-making it is enough never to speak of it in their presence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madame-de-la-fayette/most-mothers-think-that-to-keep-young-people-away-from-love-making-it/) [Madame de La Fayette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madame-de-la-fayette/) > [There is always some madness in love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/there-is-always-some-madness-in-love/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Love must have wings to fly away from love, And to fly back again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-arlington-robinson/love-must-have-wings-to-fly-away-from-love-and-to-fly-back-again/) [Edwin Arlington Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-arlington-robinson/) > [Every poet and musician and artist, but for grace, is drawn away from love of the things he tells to love of the telling...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/every-poet-and-musician-and-artist-but-for-grace-is-drawn-away-from-2/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [Things must be felt with the heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-keller/things-must-be-felt-with-the-heart/) [Helen Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-keller/) > [Take away from love the fullness of self surrender, the completeness of personal commitment, and what remains will be a total denial and negation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/take-away-from-love-the-fullness-of-self-surrender-the-completeness/) [Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/) > [Love is vivid. I never wanted the pale version. Love is full strength. I never wanted the diluted version. I never shied away from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/love-is-vivid-i-never-wanted-the-pale-version-love-is-full-strength-i/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [I have an idea that most of all he is running away from love, because it's too big and too demanding. He's running away…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/i-have-an-idea-that-most-of-all-he-is-running-away-from-love-because/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [I've learned ... that no one is perfect until you fall in love with them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-rooney/i-ve-learned-that-no-one-is-perfect-until-you-fall-in-love-with-them/) [Andy Rooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-rooney/) > [I've gotten into this nasty habit of running away from love, but maybe one day I can find the exception to that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-swift/i-ve-gotten-into-this-nasty-habit-of-running-away-from-love-but-maybe/) [Taylor Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-swift/) > [Love is everything it's cracked up to be. It really is worth fighting for, being brave for, risking everything for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/love-is-everything-it-s-cracked-up-to-be-it-really-is-worth-fighting/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) [Browse all 14 Away from love quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/away-from-love/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The only way to retain love is to give it away.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Elbert Hubbard" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/the-only-way-to-retain-love-is-to-give-it-away/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Away from love" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/the-only-way-to-retain-love-is-to-give-it-away/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d4/elbert-hubbard-510_away-from-love_the-only-way-to-retain-love-is-to-give-i_1749130.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d4/elbert-hubbard-510_away-from-love_the-only-way-to-retain-love-is-to-give-i_1749130.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d4/elbert-hubbard-510_away-from-love_the-only-way-to-retain-love-is-to-give-i_1749130.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The only way to retain love is to give it away.” — Elbert Hubbard", "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": "Elbert Hubbard", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The only way to retain love...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/the-only-way-to-retain-love-is-to-give-it-away/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/the-only-way-to-retain-love-is-to-give-it-away/#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 } } ] } ```