--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If there was one thing responsible for…" description: "\"“If there was one thing responsible for ruining lives, it was love.”\" — Heather O'Neill" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a0/heather-o-neill-4972_love_if-there-was-one-thing-responsible-for-r_2639325.png" --- # If there was one thing responsible for ruining lives, it… ![“If there was one thing responsible for ruining lives, it was love.” quote by Heather O'Neill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a0/heather-o-neill-4972_love_if-there-was-one-thing-responsible-for-r_2639325.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a0/heather-o-neill-4972_love_if-there-was-one-thing-responsible-for-r_2639325.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a0/heather-o-neill-4972_love_if-there-was-one-thing-responsible-for-r_2639325.png) > ““If there was one thing responsible for ruining lives, it was love.”” [Heather O'Neill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-o-neill/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Love can be a destructive force that derails lives, often causing more harm than benefit. **In simple terms:** Love can ruin lives. Key Takeaway Guard against love’s blind spots. Themes relationships destruction emotions vulnerability psychology Mood melancholic reflective cautionary Type romantic psychological When to use this quote - Romantic partnerships - family dynamics - friendships - addictive relationships Key Concepts Attachment theory toxic love self‑sacrifice Questions to Reflect On - What makes love both harmful and healing? - How can we recognize destructive patterns early? A Different Perspective Love also inspires growth and healing. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Lives Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lives-love-1127246/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Responsible Ruining](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/responsible-ruining-2254846/) [Ruining Lives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ruining-lives-2254845/) [Thing Responsible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing-responsible-1866339/) ## Related quotes > [I just have to be myself. I'm not perfect, and I'm going to make mistakes; I might say the wrong thing. I have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laverne-cox/i-just-have-to-be-myself-i-m-not-perfect-and-i-m-going-to-make/) [Laverne Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laverne-cox/) > [Once you have a small child who depends on you for every little thing, you're responsible for him. It's a huge responsibility. For me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-hardy/once-you-have-a-small-child-who-depends-on-you-for-every-little-thing/) [Matt Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-hardy/) > [ I just don't understand, if they see numbers \[of CEO salaries\]that represent people, how they can somehow skirt around that and morally justify taking… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-vedder/i-just-don-t-understand-if-they-see-numbers-of-ceo-salaries-that/) [Eddie Vedder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-vedder/) > [“I keep cutting. For him. For me. For ruining lives. Apparently, I’m good at that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-randall/i-keep-cutting-for-him-for-me-for-ruining-lives-apparently-i-m-good/) [Andrea Randall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-randall/) > [I'm always really worried about ruining their lives. Especially with people that aren't famous. It's such a massive change. I'm kind of a paranoid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-pattinson/i-m-always-really-worried-about-ruining-their-lives-especially-with/) [Robert Pattinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-pattinson/) > [As long as we see abusers as victims, or as out-of-control monsters, they will continue getting away with ruining lives. If we want abusers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lundy-bancroft/as-long-as-we-see-abusers-as-victims-or-as-out-of-control-monsters/) [Lundy Bancroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lundy-bancroft/) > [I think that one of the qualifications of artists should be a vow of celibacy. They should be confined to ruining only their own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-lewis/i-think-that-one-of-the-qualifications-of-artists-should-be-a-vow-of/) [Roger Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-lewis/) > [He that lives in love lives in God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/he-that-lives-in-love-lives-in-god/) [William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/) > [We can't live other people's lives for them. Even if we love them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-hannah/we-can-t-live-other-people-s-lives-for-them-even-if-we-love-them/) [Kristin Hannah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-hannah/) > [May the coming years, fill your lives with love and happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/may-the-coming-years-fill-your-lives-with-love-and-happiness/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Grief is so human, and it hits everyone at one point or another, at least, in their lives. If you love, you will grieve,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-redfield-jamison/grief-is-so-human-and-it-hits-everyone-at-one-point-or-another-at/) [Kay Redfield Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-redfield-jamison/) > [...we make our lives by what we love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cage/we-make-our-lives-by-what-we-love/) [John Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cage/) > [Before you can do anything else in the lives of others, you must show them love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/before-you-can-do-anything-else-in-the-lives-of-others-you-must-show/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) > [The great thing about my two lives is I love them both. I'm very ambitious and nothing gets in the way of me practising…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rory-mcilroy/the-great-thing-about-my-two-lives-is-i-love-them-both-i-m-very/) [Rory McIlroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rory-mcilroy/) > [“In a world plagued with commonplace tragedies, only one thing exists that truly has the power to save lives, and that is love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-goodrich/in-a-world-plagued-with-commonplace-tragedies-only-one-thing-exists/) [Richelle Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-goodrich/) ## More by Heather O'Neill > [“You can learn how to be an aristocrat by following a few rules in a very short book. There is nothing to it.” He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-o-neill/you-can-learn-how-to-be-an-aristocrat-by-following-a-few-rules-in-a/) [Heather O'Neill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-o-neill/) > [“I decided to get my butt up out of the coffin, just like Jesus Christ, and come and chitchat with all my beautiful and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-o-neill/i-decided-to-get-my-butt-up-out-of-the-coffin-just-like-jesus-christ/) [Heather O'Neill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-o-neill/) > [In Lullabies, I wanted to capture what I remembered of the drunken babbling of unfortunate twelve-year-olds: their illusions, their ludicrously bad choices, their lack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-o-neill/in-lullabies-i-wanted-to-capture-what-i-remembered-of-the-drunken/) [Heather O'Neill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-o-neill/) > [“You know you're my best friend, right?' he said. I shrugged. I guessed it was true. Now that I wasn't going to be at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-o-neill/you-know-you-re-my-best-friend-right-he-said-i-shrugged-i-guessed-it/) [Heather O'Neill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-o-neill/) > [“Jules and I were tiny people. We were delicate. We were almost destroyed. We were vulnerable. Like nerds in a school yard of bullies,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-o-neill/jules-and-i-were-tiny-people-we-were-delicate-we-were-almost/) [Heather O'Neill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-o-neill/) > [“Whenever things were going well, I started to feel vain.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-o-neill/whenever-things-were-going-well-i-started-to-feel-vain/) [Heather O'Neill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-o-neill/) > [“When you’re young, sex doesn’t mean as much, it isn’t sacred. Children make the best prostitutes because they’re th emost perfunctory about the whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-o-neill/when-you-re-young-sex-doesn-t-mean-as-much-it-isn-t-sacred-children/) [Heather O'Neill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-o-neill/) > [“Being a woman was a trap. Something would bring you down before you turned twenty-three. The only time the world shows you any favor,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-o-neill/being-a-woman-was-a-trap-something-would-bring-you-down-before-you/) [Heather O'Neill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-o-neill/) > [Sometimes when you are standing still and it’s snowing, you think that you hear music. You can’t tell where it’s coming from either. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-o-neill/sometimes-when-you-are-standing-still-and-it-s-snowing-you-think-that/) [Heather O'Neill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-o-neill/) > [“What are they supposed to do when they've been told their whole lives not to believe in fairy tales?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-o-neill/what-are-they-supposed-to-do-when-they-ve-been-told-their-whole-lives/) [Heather O'Neill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-o-neill/) > [“Felix was in his room singing into a tape recorder then playing it back and exclaiming, “My God. Do I actually sound like this?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-o-neill/felix-was-in-his-room-singing-into-a-tape-recorder-then-playing-it/) [Heather O'Neill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-o-neill/) > [Adolescents are still children in that they can't yet tell the difference between make believe and fiction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-o-neill/adolescents-are-still-children-in-that-they-can-t-yet-tell-the/) [Heather O'Neill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-o-neill/) > [“I went into the room and sat next to Linus on the bed. I put my hand on his shoulder. I was always surprised…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-o-neill/i-went-into-the-room-and-sat-next-to-linus-on-the-bed-i-put-my-hand/) [Heather O'Neill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-o-neill/) > [“my father encouraged me to enter medicine. He told me it was much nobler to worry about humans than about bugs. But you know,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-o-neill/my-father-encouraged-me-to-enter-medicine-he-told-me-it-was-much/) [Heather O'Neill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-o-neill/) > [“A cat's tail waved above the arm of the couch like an elegant hand in a black glove waving goodbye.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-o-neill/a-cat-s-tail-waved-above-the-arm-of-the-couch-like-an-elegant-hand-in/) [Heather O'Neill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-o-neill/) [Explore all 103 Heather O'Neill quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-o-neill/) ## More Love quotes > [Whatever meaning 'Annie's Song' had for me on a personal level, there was also a larger context. It could just as easily have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-denver/whatever-meaning-annie-s-song-had-for-me-on-a-personal-level-there/) [John Denver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-denver/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I need a bath." He chuckled. "You smell of smoke, as do I." The duke turned, leaning heavily on his cane. "Jameson, open the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hawkins/i-need-a-bath-he-chuckled-you-smell-of-smoke-as-do-i-the-duke-turned/) [Karen Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hawkins/) > [I love going to Columbia, Missouri. That is a really underrated campus. It shocked me when I went there because I really didn't know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-herbstreit/i-love-going-to-columbia-missouri-that-is-a-really-underrated-campus/) [Kirk Herbstreit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirk-herbstreit/) > [Life works most perfectly when a reciprocal love relationship is in place between man and God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-moore/life-works-most-perfectly-when-a-reciprocal-love-relationship-is-in/) [Beth Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-moore/) > [We talk to God--that is prayer; God talks to us--that is inspiration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-emilie-cady/we-talk-to-god-that-is-prayer-god-talks-to-us-that-is-inspiration/) [H. Emilie Cady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-emilie-cady/) > [I fell in love with social work, and that was my undoing as a poet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-rakosi/i-fell-in-love-with-social-work-and-that-was-my-undoing-as-a-poet/) [Carl Rakosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-rakosi/) > [You cant be controlling in improv.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-walsh/you-cant-be-controlling-in-improv/) [Matt Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-walsh/) > [Everyone needs someone to love, and I choose you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everyone-needs-someone-to-love-and-i-choose-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I think, here's what I've realized from interviewing people, and I've been very open about my Catholicism and my love of Christ and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-mohr/i-think-here-s-what-i-ve-realized-from-interviewing-people-and-i-ve/) [Jay Mohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-mohr/) > [“To be loved by a man, truly loved, made a woman feel as if she could burst. Of course, Lia was strong and could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melody-anne/to-be-loved-by-a-man-truly-loved-made-a-woman-feel-as-if-she-could/) [Melody Anne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melody-anne/) > [So when you take those tears, don't look to see I'm alright. …\*Seal - Violet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-nickel/so-when-you-take-those-tears-don-t-look-to-see-i-m-alright-seal-violet/) [Eric Nickel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-nickel/) > [Two things revolutionised life: moving to the countryside and falling in love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-love/two-things-revolutionised-life-moving-to-the-countryside-and-falling/) [Nick Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-love/) > [“That horrible stinging sensation returned, the muscles behind my eyes straining as the first tear began to fall. “I’m scared, too. For eighteen months…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devon-ashley/that-horrible-stinging-sensation-returned-the-muscles-behind-my-eyes/) [Devon Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devon-ashley/) > [I could program a 'fabulous, I love it' kind of hit season right now. I'm more interested in breaking boundaries, telling a story, defying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-c-wolfe/i-could-program-a-fabulous-i-love-it-kind-of-hit-season-right-now-i-m/) [George C. Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-c-wolfe/) [Browse all 233,035 Love quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“If there was one thing responsible for ruining lives, it was love.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Heather O'Neill" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-o-neill/if-there-was-one-thing-responsible-for-ruining-lives-it-was-love/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Love" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-o-neill/if-there-was-one-thing-responsible-for-ruining-lives-it-was-love/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a0/heather-o-neill-4972_love_if-there-was-one-thing-responsible-for-r_2639325.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a0/heather-o-neill-4972_love_if-there-was-one-thing-responsible-for-r_2639325.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a0/heather-o-neill-4972_love_if-there-was-one-thing-responsible-for-r_2639325.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If there was one thing responsible for ruining lives, it was love.” — Heather O'Neill", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Heather O'Neill", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-o-neill/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“If there was one thing responsible...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-o-neill/if-there-was-one-thing-responsible-for-ruining-lives-it-was-love/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-o-neill/if-there-was-one-thing-responsible-for-ruining-lives-it-was-love/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```