Breathing Quote by George Eliot
“Explain! Tell a man to explain how he dropped into hell! Explain my preference! I never had a PREFERENCE for her, any more than I have a preference for breathing. No other woman exists by the side of her. I would rather touch her hand if it were dead, than I would touch any other woman's living.”
About This Quote
Source Novel: Middlemarch by George Eliot, 1871
The speaker expresses an absolute, exclusive devotion, equating love with a necessity as fundamental as breathing, and rejecting any other romantic connection.
In simple terms: Total devotion to one person, dismissing all others.
Key Takeaway
Cherish unique bonds, avoid comparing love to others.
Themes
love
devotion
exclusivity
Mood
passionate
intense
Type
philosophical
romantic
When to use this quote
- marriage
- intimate relationships
- personal sacrifice
- emotional commitment
Key Concepts
romantic idealism
personal identity
Questions to Reflect On
- Do you value exclusivity over personal growth?
- Can love be both exclusive and healthy?
A Different Perspective
Such intensity can become unhealthy if it ignores personal well‑being.
![“[W]e must learn to accommodate ourselves to the discovery that some of those cunningly-fashioned instruments called human souls have only a very limited range of music, and will not vibrate in the least under a touch that fills others with tremulous rapture or quivering agony.” quote by George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/9be/george-eliot-84_agony_w-e-must-learn-to-accommodate-ourselves_12409.jpg)
