---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Love itself is not an act of will, but…"
description: "\"Love itself is not an act of will, but sometimes I need the force of my volition to break with my habitual responses and pass along the love already he..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c01/hugh-prather-3404_break_love-itself-is-not-an-act-of-will-but-so_158346.png"
---

#  Love itself is not an act of will, but sometimes I need…

![“Love itself is not an act of will, but sometimes I need the force of my volition to break with my habitual responses and pass along the love already here.” quote by Hugh Prather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c01/hugh-prather-3404_break_love-itself-is-not-an-act-of-will-but-so_158346.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c01/hugh-prather-3404_break_love-itself-is-not-an-act-of-will-but-so_158346.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c01/hugh-prather-3404_break_love-itself-is-not-an-act-of-will-but-so_158346.png)

> “Love itself is not an act of will, but sometimes I need the force of my volition to break with my habitual responses and pass along the love already here.”

[Hugh Prather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-prather/)

## 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 innate, yet sometimes we must consciously choose to act beyond habitual patterns to express it fully.

**In simple terms:** Love is natural but may need conscious effort.

Key Takeaway

Act intentionally to share love.

Themes

love willpower habit consciousness growth

Mood

hopeful thoughtful

Type

motivational philosophical

When to use this quote

- daily interactions
- relationships
- personal development

Key Concepts

behavioral change emotional intelligence mindfulness

Questions to Reflect On

- What habits block love?
- How can willpower reshape emotional responses?

A Different Perspective

Habitual resistance can limit love expression.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Break](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/break/) [Break Habitual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/break-habitual-1686601/) [Force](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/force/) [Force Volition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/force-volition-1744277/) [Habitual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habitual/) [Habitual Responses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habitual-responses-1744278/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Need Force](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/need-force-704708/) [Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs/) [Pass Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pass-love-1510969/) [Response](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/response/) [Sometimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sometimes/) [Volition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/volition/)

## Related quotes

> [“A crucial capability of System 2 is the adoption of “task sets”: it can program memory to obey an instruction that overrides habitual responses.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/a-crucial-capability-of-system-2-is-the-adoption-of-task-sets-it-can/)

[Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/)

> [“This works well under most circumstances, but when we wish to move beyond that default setting—to consider new ideas and possibilities, to break from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-berger/this-works-well-under-most-circumstances-but-when-we-wish-to-move/)

[Warren Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-berger/)

> [Christmas is the day to tell your loved ones what they mean to you. How could I miss this opportunity to pass all my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/christmas-is-the-day-to-tell-your-loved-ones-what-they-mean-to-you/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [True love Fake love Time-pass love I don't believe in all these loves…names I just believe in one word and that is called LOVE.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roshan/true-love-fake-love-time-pass-love-i-don-t-believe-in-all-these-loves/)

[Roshan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roshan/)

> [“If the gold wants to be purified, it has to pass through fire. Love”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osho/if-the-gold-wants-to-be-purified-it-has-to-pass-through-fire-love/)

[Osho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osho/)

> [Hours fly, Flowers die: New days, New ways: Pass by! Love stays.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-van-dyke/hours-fly-flowers-die-new-days-new-ways-pass-by-love-stays/)

[Henry Van Dyke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-van-dyke/)

> [As you pass through bhakti yoga, as you pass through love, you're elated. You're fulfilled and you're joyous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/as-you-pass-through-bhakti-yoga-as-you-pass-through-love-you-re/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [That which is loved may pass, but love hath no end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-parker/that-which-is-loved-may-pass-but-love-hath-no-end/)

[Gilbert Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-parker/)

> [“Come here! I will help you conquer this world. Our civilization is no longer capable of solving its own problems. We need your force…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liu-cixin/come-here-i-will-help-you-conquer-this-world-our-civilization-is-no/)

[Liu Cixin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liu-cixin/)

> [Yes, we need a force to continue to train, assist, advise the Iraqi army.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-keane/yes-we-need-a-force-to-continue-to-train-assist-advise-the-iraqi-army/)

[Jack Keane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-keane/)

> [I need to force feed myself. I'm constantly fighting to stay the weight I am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hafthor-bjornsson/i-need-to-force-feed-myself-i-m-constantly-fighting-to-stay-the/)

[Hafthor Bjornsson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hafthor-bjornsson/)

> [Truth will do well enough if left to shift for herself. She seldom has received much aid from the power of great men to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/truth-will-do-well-enough-if-left-to-shift-for-herself-she-seldom-has/)

[Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/)

> [The need for Government is the need for force; where force is unnecessary, there is no need for Government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-wilder-lane/the-need-for-government-is-the-need-for-force-where-force-is/)

[Rose Wilder Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-wilder-lane/)

> [Truth certainly would do well enough, if she were once left to shift for herself...She is not taught by laws, nor has she any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-locke/truth-certainly-would-do-well-enough-if-she-were-once-left-to-shift/)

[John Locke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-locke/)

> [In the pursuit of Knowledge, every day something is added. In the practice of the Way, every day something is dropped. Less and less…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-the-pursuit-of-knowledge-every-day-something-is-added-in-the/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

## More by Hugh Prather

> [Ultimately, my character is defined by the quality of my sensitivity to other people. I exist in equilibrium. I am here to the degree…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-prather/ultimately-my-character-is-defined-by-the-quality-of-my-sensitivity/)

[Hugh Prather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-prather/)

> [“I wish" assumes that I know what is the opposite of my present experience.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-prather/i-wish-assumes-that-i-know-what-is-the-opposite-of-my-present/)

[Hugh Prather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-prather/)

> [Sometimes when I generalize, I am saying, 'Let's pretend I am God,' and of course the other person argues that point endlessly. But I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-prather/sometimes-when-i-generalize-i-am-saying-let-s-pretend-i-am-god-and-of/)

[Hugh Prather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-prather/)

> [If the ocean was pure mind and I was a wave, I would be in terror if Itried to distinguish myself fromthe water that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-prather/if-the-ocean-was-pure-mind-and-i-was-a-wave-i-would-be-in-terror-if/)

[Hugh Prather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-prather/)

> [I don't need a "reason" to be happy. I don't have to consult the future to know how happy I feel now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-prather/i-don-t-need-a-reason-to-be-happy-i-don-t-have-to-consult-the-future/)

[Hugh Prather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-prather/)

> [“In order to see, I have to be willing to be seen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-prather/in-order-to-see-i-have-to-be-willing-to-be-seen/)

[Hugh Prather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-prather/)

> [No matter what we talk about, we are talking about ourselves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-prather/no-matter-what-we-talk-about-we-are-talking-about-ourselves/)

[Hugh Prather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-prather/)

> [I can not 'make my mark' for all time - those concepts are mutually exclusive. 'Lasting effect' is a self-contradictory term. Meaning does not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-prather/i-can-not-make-my-mark-for-all-time-those-concepts-are-mutually/)

[Hugh Prather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-prather/)

> [Today I don't want to live for, I want to live.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-prather/today-i-don-t-want-to-live-for-i-want-to-live/)

[Hugh Prather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-prather/)

> [Love, the magician, knows this little trick whereby two people walk in different directions yet always remain side by side…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-prather/love-the-magician-knows-this-little-trick-whereby-two-people-walk-in/)

[Hugh Prather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-prather/)

> [Books seek us out. They slip themselves into our hands just at the time we are ready for a new self-concept.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-prather/books-seek-us-out-they-slip-themselves-into-our-hands-just-at-the/)

[Hugh Prather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-prather/)

> [If I work toward an end, meantime I am confined to a process.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-prather/if-i-work-toward-an-end-meantime-i-am-confined-to-a-process/)

[Hugh Prather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-prather/)

> [Happiness is gentleness, peace, concentration, simplicity, forgiveness, humor, fearlessness, trust, and now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-prather/happiness-is-gentleness-peace-concentration-simplicity-forgiveness/)

[Hugh Prather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-prather/)

> [One element of maturity is the realization that we don't get away with anything. Any advantage gained or convenience taken, any private procrastination or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-prather/one-element-of-maturity-is-the-realization-that-we-don-t-get-away/)

[Hugh Prather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-prather/)

> [I can't be found in myself; I discover myself in others. That much is clear. And I suspect that I also love and care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-prather/i-can-t-be-found-in-myself-i-discover-myself-in-others-that-much-is/)

[Hugh Prather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-prather/)

[Explore all 130 Hugh Prather quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-prather/)

## More Break quotes

> [I made, like, five movies while I was in college. I think they just weren't memorable movies. I've taken breaks as the years have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodie-foster/i-made-like-five-movies-while-i-was-in-college-i-think-they-just/)

[Jodie Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodie-foster/)

> [Things are going well in Germany because the economy is booming and as an export-driven nation, we are profiting from the fact that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-schulz/things-are-going-well-in-germany-because-the-economy-is-booming-and/)

[Martin Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-schulz/)

> [There were songs that we cut out after we chose the name, because 'Praise Break' turned out to be an underlying concept that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-caesar/there-were-songs-that-we-cut-out-after-we-chose-the-name-because/)

[Daniel Caesar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-caesar/)

> [“He didn't break my heart. No one can break your heart except you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/he-didn-t-break-my-heart-no-one-can-break-your-heart-except-you/)

[Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/)

> [“She couldn't break the orbit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-schwab/she-couldn-t-break-the-orbit/)

[Victoria Schwab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-schwab/)

> [Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding. Even as the stone of the fruit must break, that its heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/your-pain-is-the-breaking-of-the-shell-that-encloses-your/)

[Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/)

> [Must I go bound while you go free Must I love a manwho doesn't love me Must I be born with so little art…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/must-i-go-bound-while-you-go-free-must-i-love-a-manwho-doesn-t-love/)

[Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/)

> [I hadn't worked for a year when I had my Prison Break audition and it was the easiest audition I've ever had. I got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wentworth-miller/i-hadn-t-worked-for-a-year-when-i-had-my-prison-break-audition-and-it/)

[Wentworth Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wentworth-miller/)

> [If you strike upon a thought that baffles you, break off from that entanglement and try another, so shall your wits be fresh to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristophanes/if-you-strike-upon-a-thought-that-baffles-you-break-off-from-that/)

[Aristophanes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristophanes/)

> [“A hole ain’t nothing either, but you can still break your neck in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-donati/a-hole-ain-t-nothing-either-but-you-can-still-break-your-neck-in-it/)

[Sara Donati](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-donati/)

> [“I break things, a lot of things, but I don’t want one of them to be you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-briggs/i-break-things-a-lot-of-things-but-i-don-t-want-one-of-them-to-be-you/)

[Patricia Briggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-briggs/)

> [Motor racing's less of a sport these days than a commercial break doing 150 mph.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-dunne/motor-racing-s-less-of-a-sport-these-days-than-a-commercial-break/)

[Peter Dunne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-dunne/)

> [Much like teaching art to young art students age 10 to 15 or so on, you have to break it down into bite-sized pieces,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kehinde-wiley/much-like-teaching-art-to-young-art-students-age-10-to-15-or-so-on/)

[Kehinde Wiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kehinde-wiley/)

> [The purpose is to be in gratitude forever. Live with applied consciousness, prosperity will break through the walls, flood you with it. You do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harbhajan-singh-yogi/the-purpose-is-to-be-in-gratitude-forever-live-with-applied/)

[Harbhajan Singh Yogi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harbhajan-singh-yogi/)

> [Never break another man's rice bowl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akio-morita/never-break-another-man-s-rice-bowl/)

[Akio Morita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akio-morita/)

[Browse all 8,188 Break quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/break/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Love itself is not an act of will, but sometimes I need the force of my volition to break with my habitual responses and pass along the love already here.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Hugh Prather"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-prather/love-itself-is-not-an-act-of-will-but-sometimes-i-need-the-force-of/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Break"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-prather/love-itself-is-not-an-act-of-will-but-sometimes-i-need-the-force-of/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c01/hugh-prather-3404_break_love-itself-is-not-an-act-of-will-but-so_158346.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c01/hugh-prather-3404_break_love-itself-is-not-an-act-of-will-but-so_158346.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c01/hugh-prather-3404_break_love-itself-is-not-an-act-of-will-but-so_158346.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Love itself is not an act of will, but sometimes I need the force of my volition to break with my habitual…” — Hugh Prather",
                "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": "Hugh Prather",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-prather/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Love itself is not an act...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-prather/love-itself-is-not-an-act-of-will-but-sometimes-i-need-the-force-of/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-prather/love-itself-is-not-an-act-of-will-but-sometimes-i-need-the-force-of/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
