--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: At my core, there is nothing. Neither is…" description: "\"At my core, there is nothing. Neither is it parched wastelands. At my core, there is love. I'll go on loving that ten-year-old boy named Tengo forever ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86e/haruki-murakami-21_boys_at-my-core-there-is-nothing-neither-is-i_2062209.jpg" --- # At my core, there is nothing. Neither is it parched… ![“At my core, there is nothing. Neither is it parched wastelands. At my core, there is love. I'll go on loving that ten-year-old boy named Tengo forever --- his strength, his intelligence, his kindness. He does not exist here, with me, but flesh that does not exist will never die, and promises…” quote by Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86e/haruki-murakami-21_boys_at-my-core-there-is-nothing-neither-is-i_2062209.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86e/haruki-murakami-21_boys_at-my-core-there-is-nothing-neither-is-i_2062209.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86e/haruki-murakami-21_boys_at-my-core-there-is-nothing-neither-is-i_2062209.jpg) > “At my core, there is nothing. Neither is it parched wastelands. At my core, there is love. I'll go on loving that ten-year-old boy named Tengo forever --- his strength, his intelligence, his kindness. He does not exist here, with me, but flesh that does not exist will never die, and promises unmade are never broken.” [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker affirms an inner emptiness that is simultaneously filled with love for an imagined child, suggesting that love endures beyond physical existence and unkept promises remain intact. **In simple terms:** Inner void meets endless love for a non‑existent child. Key Takeaway Cherish love that transcends reality. Themes love existence memory loneliness identity Mood melancholic hopeful Type literary reflective When to use this quote - grief counseling - creative writing - personal reflection - spiritual practice Key Concepts philosophy fictional affection metaphysics Questions to Reflect On - How does imagined love shape your real relationships? - Can promises unfulfilled be truly broken? A Different Perspective Love may be imagined, but its impact feels real and lasting. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Boys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boys/) [Broken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/broken/) [Core Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/core-love-233543/) [Doe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doe/) [Flesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flesh/) [Forever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forever/) [Goes on](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goes-on/) [Kindness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kindness/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Promise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/promise/) [Tengo Forever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tengo-forever-3939635/) [Wasteland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wasteland/) [Wastelands Core](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wastelands-core-3939636/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) ## Related quotes > [I guess at it's very core love is connection that just makes so much sense you wonder how you used to live before you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-stone/i-guess-at-it-s-very-core-love-is-connection-that-just-makes-so-much/) [Benjamin Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-stone/) > [“At the core of love is a self-sacrificing pursuit of the beloved’s greatest good. 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