--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I love him and therefore I want to…" description: "\"“I love him and therefore I want to protect him -- even from me, if that makes sense. I didn't want to skip any steps of preparation, or leave anything..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c49/elizabeth-gilbert-131_protect_i-love-him-and-therefore-i-want-to-prote_409445.jpg" --- # I love him and therefore I want to protect him -- even… ![“I love him and therefore I want to protect him -- even from me, if that makes sense. I didn't want to skip any steps of preparation, or leave anything unresolved that might reemerge later to harm us -- to harm him.” quote by Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c49/elizabeth-gilbert-131_protect_i-love-him-and-therefore-i-want-to-prote_409445.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c49/elizabeth-gilbert-131_protect_i-love-him-and-therefore-i-want-to-prote_409445.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c49/elizabeth-gilbert-131_protect_i-love-him-and-therefore-i-want-to-prote_409445.jpg) > ““I love him and therefore I want to protect him -- even from me, if that makes sense. I didn't want to skip any steps of preparation, or leave anything unresolved that might reemerge later to harm us -- to harm him.”” [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She feels love as a protective instinct, even fearing her own influence might harm the beloved, so she seeks thorough preparation and resolution. **In simple terms:** Love can feel like a duty to protect, even from oneself. Key Takeaway Prepare and resolve issues before they cause harm. Themes love protection self-awareness relationships Mood reflective concerned Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - romantic partnership - parenting - friendship - conflict resolution Key Concepts psychology attachment theory self-care Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance love with personal boundaries? - What steps can you take to address unresolved issues? A Different Perspective Even with love, fear of causing harm can lead to overprotectiveness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [We all know what it feels like to love someone and care about them and want to protect them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiana-madeira/we-all-know-what-it-feels-like-to-love-someone-and-care-about-them/) [Kiana Madeira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiana-madeira/) > [I like having a niche audience, so I can be myself. I really want to protect that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabby-windey/i-like-having-a-niche-audience-so-i-can-be-myself-i-really-want-to/) [Gabby Windey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabby-windey/) > [I don't have children, but we all want to protect whatever we love in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-henderson/i-don-t-have-children-but-we-all-want-to-protect-whatever-we-love-in/) [Shirley Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-henderson/) > [I have no fear, I have only ambition, and I want mine, And I will do anything to protect and feed my family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tupac-shakur/i-have-no-fear-i-have-only-ambition-and-i-want-mine-and-i-will-do/) [Tupac Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tupac-shakur/) > [I want to look at the whole package, but I definitely want to protect the middle-class taxpayer, first and foremost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-hagan/i-want-to-look-at-the-whole-package-but-i-definitely-want-to-protect/) [Kay Hagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-hagan/) > [I want to protect our constitutional right to bear arms in a legal and thoughtful way with background checks that also don't want people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-guilfoyle/i-want-to-protect-our-constitutional-right-to-bear-arms-in-a-legal/) [Kimberly Guilfoyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-guilfoyle/) > [“It’s wrong to want to protect you? To keep you above my shit? A goddess?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-d-reiss/it-s-wrong-to-want-to-protect-you-to-keep-you-above-my-shit-a-goddess/) [C.D. Reiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-d-reiss/) > [I want to protect my club. I want to try to protect my players. I want to try to protect my fans. 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Im not a modest guy who will say its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/im-not-superman-so-i-cant-say-anything-big-like-ill-protect-everyone/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You look at Iran, you look at North Korea, you look at terrorists, we don't even know where to look. We don't know where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/you-look-at-iran-you-look-at-north-korea-you-look-at-terrorists-we/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) ## More by Elizabeth Gilbert > [That's your friend. My husband is my best friend. He's not the mirror that holds up my flaws. 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First we manufacture indigent and superfluous people by legal monopolies in land, money…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurance-labadie/the-health-education-and-welfare-section-of-government-is-another/) [Laurance Labadie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurance-labadie/) > [There was only the broad square with the scattered dim moons of the street lamps and with the monumental stone arch which receded into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-maria-remarque/there-was-only-the-broad-square-with-the-scattered-dim-moons-of-the/) [Erich Maria Remarque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-maria-remarque/) > [UN peacekeeping operations are now increasingly complex and multi-dimensional, going beyond monitoring a ceasefire to actually bringing failed States back to life, often after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/un-peacekeeping-operations-are-now-increasingly-complex-and-multi/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [If i can't even protect my captain's dream, then whatever ambition i have is nothing but talk..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoro/if-i-can-t-even-protect-my-captain-s-dream-then-whatever-ambition-i/) [Zoro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoro/) > [Each transfer brings a change to the dressing room that I must protect - that is my job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-tuchel/each-transfer-brings-a-change-to-the-dressing-room-that-i-must/) [Thomas Tuchel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-tuchel/) > [Our children are our future, and we should do everything within our power to protect them and show them how to live a healthy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bel-edwards/our-children-are-our-future-and-we-should-do-everything-within-our/) [John Bel Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bel-edwards/) > [Governments regard their own citizens as their main enemy, and they have to be - protect themselves. 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