--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Before he'd met Anna, he'd thought he'd…" description: "\"“Before he'd met Anna, he'd thought he'd known what love was, thought he'd understood about friendship, romance, all of it, but he hadn't - not at all...." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d7/gemma-malley-24539_first-time_before-he-d-met-anna-he-d-thought-he-d-k_1625983.jpg" --- # Before he'd met Anna, he'd thought he'd known what love… ![“Before he'd met Anna, he'd thought he'd known what love was, thought he'd understood about friendship, romance, all of it, but he hadn't - not at all. Until he'd held Anna in his arms, until he'd let her see into his soul, until he'd heard her cry gently when he made love to her for the first…” quote by Gemma Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d7/gemma-malley-24539_first-time_before-he-d-met-anna-he-d-thought-he-d-k_1625983.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d7/gemma-malley-24539_first-time_before-he-d-met-anna-he-d-thought-he-d-k_1625983.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d7/gemma-malley-24539_first-time_before-he-d-met-anna-he-d-thought-he-d-k_1625983.jpg) > ““Before he'd met Anna, he'd thought he'd known what love was, thought he'd understood about friendship, romance, all of it, but he hadn't - not at all. Until he'd held Anna in his arms, until he'd let her see into his soul, until he'd heard her cry gently when he made love to her for the first time, he'd known nothing. And now, sometimes, when it was just the two of them, when he smelt her hair, caught her eye, he felt as though he knew all there was to know about everything, as though they knew the secret of life. A secret far more powerful than Longevity, far more long-lasting.”” [Gemma Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gemma-malley/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Love transforms understanding, revealing deeper meaning beyond prior assumptions about relationships and life. **In simple terms:** Love changes how we see everything. Key Takeaway Embrace love to discover deeper truths. Themes love self‑discovery intimacy transformation Mood reflective hopeful Type narrative emotional When to use this quote - romantic partnership - first intimacy - shared vulnerability - life reflection Key Concepts emotional intimacy personal growth existential meaning Questions to Reflect On - How has love reshaped your worldview? - What truths have you uncovered through intimacy? A Different Perspective Love may idealize partners, overlooking flaws. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Felt Knew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/felt-knew-335705/) [First time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-time/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Knew Secret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knew-secret-306339/) [Known Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/known-love/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Met Anna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/met-anna-335704/) [Peter-pincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peter-pincent-143457/) [Secret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secret/) [Secret Of Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secret-of-life/) [Surplus-anna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surplus-anna-181169/) ## Related quotes > [“Before he'd met Anna, he'd thought he'd known what love was, thought he'd understood about friendship, romance, all o fit, but he hadn't -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gemma-malley/before-he-d-met-anna-he-d-thought-he-d-known-what-love-was-thought-he/) [Gemma Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gemma-malley/) > [“I love you, Anna Covey,' he said, his voice barely audible. 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I had to tell her how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ike-turner/when-i-met-her-she-was-anna-mae-i-was-the-one-who-turned-her-into/) [Ike Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ike-turner/) > [When I met with Anna Chancellor, I knew she was a kindred spirit. We got one another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toby-stephens/when-i-met-with-anna-chancellor-i-knew-she-was-a-kindred-spirit-we/) [Toby Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toby-stephens/) > [“He never feared anything again. Because he knew the secret. Life was cheap.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/decandido-keith-r-a/he-never-feared-anything-again-because-he-knew-the-secret-life-was/) [DeCandido Keith R. 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If men knew what is done in secret, no one would be free from the interference of others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saadi/god-preserve-us-if-men-knew-what-is-done-in-secret-no-one-would-be/) [Saadi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saadi/) > [“Lying in bed that morning after a long and frantic run home, the door dead bolted, chained, and a chair hooked under the knob…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-kirsten-maravel/lying-in-bed-that-morning-after-a-long-and-frantic-run-home-the-door/) [Shawn Kirsten Maravel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-kirsten-maravel/) > [“She knew his secret: for all his wandering, his independence and his unorthodox ways, he took his responsibilities very seriously. He even borrowed others'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meredith-duran/she-knew-his-secret-for-all-his-wandering-his-independence-and-his/) [Meredith Duran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meredith-duran/) > [“Tell me, how do get away from your own self?” she questioned. I knew what she meant with a sickening realization. They knew what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-a-thompson/tell-me-how-do-get-away-from-your-own-self-she-questioned-i-knew-what/) [Shannon A. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-a-thompson/) > [Ultimately, at the end of the day, you couldn't say you were better than the other person because you knew you had a secret.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/ultimately-at-the-end-of-the-day-you-couldn-t-say-you-were-better/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) > [Everybody said she was a winner, nobody knew the secret kept within her, starving for perfection, hating her reflection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/broken-soul/everybody-said-she-was-a-winner-nobody-knew-the-secret-kept-within/) [Broken Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/broken-soul/) ## More by Gemma Malley > [“But there was nothing beautiful about the word "brainwash". To clean the brain. To strip it bare.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gemma-malley/but-there-was-nothing-beautiful-about-the-word-brainwash-to-clean-the/) [Gemma Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gemma-malley/) > [“But I do know that the world is the most beautiful place and that we're lucky to be here. I know that we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gemma-malley/but-i-do-know-that-the-world-is-the-most-beautiful-place-and-that-we/) [Gemma Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gemma-malley/) > [“Imagination shows an ability to lie, to pretend the world is different than it is.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gemma-malley/imagination-shows-an-ability-to-lie-to-pretend-the-world-is-different/) [Gemma Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gemma-malley/) > [“Humans may progress. 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And slowly, clumsily, he leant forward, and his lips found hers, and as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gemma-malley/i-love-you-anna-covey-he-said-his-voice-barely-audible-and-slowly/) [Gemma Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gemma-malley/) > [“Because no one needs to live for ever. I think that sometimes you can outstay your welcome. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gemma-malley/because-no-one-needs-to-live-for-ever-i-think-that-sometimes-you-can/) [Gemma Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gemma-malley/) > [“You see, what I want is life. A real life, full of moments of joy, of anguish, of irritation, of fun. A life with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gemma-malley/you-see-what-i-want-is-life-a-real-life-full-of-moments-of-joy-of/) [Gemma Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gemma-malley/) > [“Before he'd met Anna, he'd thought he'd known what love was, thought he'd understood about friendship, romance, all o fit, but he hadn't -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gemma-malley/before-he-d-met-anna-he-d-thought-he-d-known-what-love-was-thought-he/) [Gemma Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gemma-malley/) > [“He said that we belonged together because he was born with a flower and I was born with a butterfly and that flowers and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gemma-malley/he-said-that-we-belonged-together-because-he-was-born-with-a-flower/) [Gemma Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gemma-malley/) > [“I love you Anna Covey,' he said, his voice barely audible. And slowly, clumsily, he leant forward, and his lips found hers, and Anna…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gemma-malley/i-love-you-anna-covey-he-said-his-voice-barely-audible-and-slowly-2/) [Gemma Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gemma-malley/) > [“Surplus meant unnecessary. Not required. You couldn’t be a Surplus if you were needed by someone else. 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And for the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-monir/i-m-waiting-for-you-he-murmured-smiling-a-slow-familiar-grin-that/) [Alexandra Monir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-monir/) > [“Treat every natural beauty you met as if you see them for the first and last time!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/treat-every-natural-beauty-you-met-as-if-you-see-them-for-the-first/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“I won’t break your heart. 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