--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Love, not as a surge of passion, but as a…" description: "\"“Love, not as a surge of passion, but as a choice to commit to something, someone, no matter what obstacles or temptations stand in the way. And maybe ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bda/emily-giffin-938_choice_love-not-as-a-surge-of-passion-but-as-a_1189950.png" --- # Love, not as a surge of passion, but as a choice to commit… ![“Love, not as a surge of passion, but as a choice to commit to something, someone, no matter what obstacles or temptations stand in the way. And maybe making that choice, again and again, day in and day out, year after year, says more about love than never having a choice to make at all.” quote by Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bda/emily-giffin-938_choice_love-not-as-a-surge-of-passion-but-as-a_1189950.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bda/emily-giffin-938_choice_love-not-as-a-surge-of-passion-but-as-a_1189950.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bda/emily-giffin-938_choice_love-not-as-a-surge-of-passion-but-as-a_1189950.png) > ““Love, not as a surge of passion, but as a choice to commit to something, someone, no matter what obstacles or temptations stand in the way. And maybe making that choice, again and again, day in and day out, year after year, says more about love than never having a choice to make at all.”” [Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Love is a deliberate commitment that persists despite challenges, chosen repeatedly over time. **In simple terms:** Love is a steady choice, not just passion. Key Takeaway Commit daily, despite obstacles. Themes commitment resilience relationships Mood reflective hopeful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - marriage - parenting - friendships - longterm projects Key Concepts choice longterm dedication Questions to Reflect On - How do you sustain commitment when faced with temptation? - What habits reinforce your choice of love? A Different Perspective Love alone cannot solve systemic issues; external factors matter. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Choice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choice/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Passion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passion/) ## Related quotes > [Maybe thats what it all comes down to. Love, not as a surge of passion, but as a choice to commit to something, someone,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/maybe-thats-what-it-all-comes-down-to-love-not-as-a-surge-of-passion/) [Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) > [“A perfect example, in matters of life and death, of love and passion, of choice or destiny; options decrease to a singular course.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-crown/a-perfect-example-in-matters-of-life-and-death-of-love-and-passion-of/) [Bruce Crown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-crown/) > [“When you finally get down to making a choice from your narrowed-down list of alternatives, and you’ve cognitively evaluated the issues, and emotionally and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-burnett/when-you-finally-get-down-to-making-a-choice-from-your-narrowed-down/) [Bill Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-burnett/) > [“I miss us too. I always have and I probably always will. Sometimes there are no happy endings. No matter what, I'll be losing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/i-miss-us-too-i-always-have-and-i-probably-always-will-sometimes/) [Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) > [“Sometimes there are no happy endings, No matter what, I'll be losing something, someone. But maybe that's what it all comes down to. Love,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/sometimes-there-are-no-happy-endings-no-matter-what-i-ll-be-losing-2/) [Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) > [Sometimes when he says,I love you does he really mean it when he says it to you? When you tell him that you Love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paige-ladd/sometimes-when-he-says-i-love-you-does-he-really-mean-it-when-he-says/) Paige Ladd > [The world takes us to a silver screen on which flickering images of passion and romance play, and as we watch, the world says,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-harris/the-world-takes-us-to-a-silver-screen-on-which-flickering-images-of/) [Joshua Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-harris/) > [Just by the nature of making the choice to be true to who I am, I'm political. Sometimes that's all you need to do:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-porter/just-by-the-nature-of-making-the-choice-to-be-true-to-who-i-am-i-m/) [Billy Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-porter/) > [In Hollywood, the ... basic freedom of being able to choose between alternatives is absent. The gifted people who have the capacity for choice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hortense-powdermaker/in-hollywood-the-basic-freedom-of-being-able-to-choose-between/) [Hortense Powdermaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hortense-powdermaker/) > [“Making a choice is a powerful privilege. Accepting one is strength.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-bekoe/making-a-choice-is-a-powerful-privilege-accepting-one-is-strength/) [Marion Bekoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-bekoe/) > [Every time you're making a choice, one choice is the safe/comfortable choice - and one choice is the risky/uncomfortable choice. the risky/uncomfortable choice is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-sivers/every-time-you-re-making-a-choice-one-choice-is-the-safe-comfortable/) [Derek Sivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-sivers/) > [You have to continuously make choices throughout your life. Whether it is made consciously or unconsciously, by making a choice means that you must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/you-have-to-continuously-make-choices-throughout-your-life-whether-it/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) > [“She cried, 'No choice! No choice!' She doesn't know. If she doesn't speak, she is making a choice. If she doesn't try, she can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-tan/she-cried-no-choice-no-choice-she-doesn-t-know-if-she-doesn-t-speak/) [Amy Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-tan/) > [“Right now I am making the choice to live out this day choosing to be intentional about not being unintentional.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/right-now-i-am-making-the-choice-to-live-out-this-day-choosing-to-be/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [I don't know that any woman could ever not think about that at some point - even making the choice not to do it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-watts/i-don-t-know-that-any-woman-could-ever-not-think-about-that-at-some/) [Naomi Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-watts/) ## More by Emily Giffin > [I try to have something in common with my protagonists, especially when I'm writing in the first person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/i-try-to-have-something-in-common-with-my-protagonists-especially/) [Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) > [I think exercise is critical to my writing and an essential way to recharge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/i-think-exercise-is-critical-to-my-writing-and-an-essential-way-to/) [Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) > [“Grab his penis like this, and I guarantee, it’s a done deal.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/grab-his-penis-like-this-and-i-guarantee-it-s-a-done-deal/) [Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) > [“Well, anyway… it’s over,” I say, realizing that those two words lump me right in with a hoard of naive women who say it’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/well-anyway-it-s-over-i-say-realizing-that-those-two-words-lump-me/) [Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) > [There are two kinds of sorry. There is the sorry imbued with regret. And a pure sorry. The kind that is merely asking for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/there-are-two-kinds-of-sorry-there-is-the-sorry-imbued-with-regret/) [Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) > [Throw in the intensity of emotions that come with that bittersweet summer sandwiched between high school graduation and the rest of your life...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/throw-in-the-intensity-of-emotions-that-come-with-that-bittersweet/) [Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) > [“You can never be too sure when it comes to things that matter most”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/you-can-never-be-too-sure-when-it-comes-to-things-that-matter-most/) [Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) > [“It occurs to me that she is not unique--that all women compare lives. We are aware of whose husband works more, who helps more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/it-occurs-to-me-that-she-is-not-unique-that-all-women-compare-lives/) [Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) > [“I desperately want to feel that way again. To be in a relationship that I’m not trying to script or water down. It’s about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/i-desperately-want-to-feel-that-way-again-to-be-in-a-relationship/) [Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) > [I always find something in common with my protagonist, particularly when I write in the first person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/i-always-find-something-in-common-with-my-protagonist-particularly/) [Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) > [There is no grief like heartbreak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/there-is-no-grief-like-heartbreak/) [Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) > [I find my voice and manage to say those three one-syllable words back to him. Words I haven't uttered in a very, very long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/i-find-my-voice-and-manage-to-say-those-three-one-syllable-words-back/) [Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) > [i wish i could freeze this moment, somehow delay my final decision, and just hang here in the balance between two places, two worlds,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/i-wish-i-could-freeze-this-moment-somehow-delay-my-final-decision-and/) [Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) > [I try to write about real women, real people - in other words flawed characters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/i-try-to-write-about-real-women-real-people-in-other-words-flawed/) [Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) > [“never had a good gut feeling. It wasn’t so much that I didn’t have faith in my team, but that I maintained the truest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/never-had-a-good-gut-feeling-it-wasn-t-so-much-that-i-didn-t-have/) [Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) [Explore all 324 Emily Giffin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) ## More Choice quotes > [Making the right decision is hard,telling someone your decision is even harder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhishek-tiwari/making-the-right-decision-is-hard-telling-someone-your-decision-is/) [Abhishek Tiwari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhishek-tiwari/) > [“That’s all! Now either leave us alone or join us as a father rather than a receiver of sacrifices. You have the choice of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/that-s-all-now-either-leave-us-alone-or-join-us-as-a-father-rather/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [“In a world of fixed future, there can be no right or wrong. Right and wrong demand freedom of choice, but if each action…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-lightman/in-a-world-of-fixed-future-there-can-be-no-right-or-wrong-right-and/) [Alan Lightman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-lightman/) > [“Exactly. So, what can't you take? Decide which of the two options is harder, and do the other. That way, no matter how hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-angelini/exactly-so-what-can-t-you-take-decide-which-of-the-two-options-is/) [Josephine Angelini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-angelini/) > [“too—I realized that my only hope was to give up the life that had been, in order to make room for the life that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-lesser/too-i-realized-that-my-only-hope-was-to-give-up-the-life-that-had/) [Elizabeth Lesser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-lesser/) > [When you have a choice, choose happy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pancho-barnes/when-you-have-a-choice-choose-happy/) Pancho Barnes > [You dont choose your life; it chooses you. Theres no point asking why life has reserved certain joys or griefs, you just accept them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-dont-choose-your-life-it-chooses-you-theres-no-point-asking-why/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [There has always been a feeling with people that they love my singing but not always the choice of material.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-moyet/there-has-always-been-a-feeling-with-people-that-they-love-my-singing/) [Alison Moyet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-moyet/) > [I have too many options when it comes to guitars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-nielsen/i-have-too-many-options-when-it-comes-to-guitars/) [Rick Nielsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-nielsen/) > [“Amazing how a small choice can change your life forever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-c-dockens/amazing-how-a-small-choice-can-change-your-life-forever/) Randy C. Dockens > [Change is inevitable but personal growth is a choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/change-is-inevitable-but-personal-growth-is-a-choice/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [If you choose to draw from the inner well of free will, then you can make choices that are outside your current karmic patterns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/if-you-choose-to-draw-from-the-inner-well-of-free-will-then-you-can/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Since I don't outline my books very much, I feel like sometimes I don't have a choice in what the characters do; they just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-todd/since-i-don-t-outline-my-books-very-much-i-feel-like-sometimes-i-don/) [Anna Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-todd/) > [Act always so as to increase the number of choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinz-von-foerster/act-always-so-as-to-increase-the-number-of-choices/) [Heinz von Foerster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinz-von-foerster/) > [Words can only have an effect on you if you choose to listen to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernajoy-vaal/words-can-only-have-an-effect-on-you-if-you-choose-to-listen-to-them/) [Bernajoy Vaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernajoy-vaal/) [Browse all 8,092 Choice quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choice/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Love, not as a surge of passion, but as a choice to commit to something, someone, no matter what obstacles or temptations stand in the way. 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