Certainly Quote by John Irving

““Love was certainly not safe - not ever.””

John Irving

About This Quote

Source Novel: The World According to Garp, 1978

Love is inherently unsafe and never truly secure.

In simple terms: Love is always risky.

Key Takeaway

Accept love’s uncertainty.

Themes

love risk vulnerability

Mood

melancholic thoughtful

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

building trust
communication
emotional intelligence

Key Concepts

emotional exposure relationship dynamics

Questions to Reflect On

What makes love feel unsafe?
How can you mitigate that risk?

A Different Perspective

Safety can be cultivated through trust.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 4.5 out of 5 (5 ratings)

More by John Irving

Your memory is a monster; you forget - it doesn't. It simply files things away. It keeps things for you, or hides things from…

John Irving

Image

Our memory is a monster; you forget it - it does not.

John Irving

Image

… and so he tried to accept the ache in his heart as what Dr. Larch would call the common symptoms of normal life.

John Irving

Image

Watch out for people who call themselves religious; make sure you know what they mean––make sure they know what they mean!

John Irving

Image

The desire to never leave your side, the desire to never see you again. The desire to see your face asleep on the pillow…

John Irving

Image

I had been a student in Vienna, and one of the neat little things I had found out was about that zoo. It was…

John Irving

Image

“God, I think I just hit a high E-flat - and I really held it!" Esmeralda said, after one of her more prolonged orgasms,…

John Irving

Image

“Nostalgia!" Miss Frost cried. "You´re nostalgic!" She repeated. "Just how old are you, William?" She asked. "Seventeen, " I told her. "Seventeen!" Miss Frost…

John Irving

Image

“JUST BECAUSE A BUNCH OF ATHEISTS ARE BETTER WRITERS THAN THE GUYS WHO WROTE THE BIBLE DOESN'T NECESSARILY MAKE THEM RIGHT!" [Owen Meany] said…

John Irving

Image

It is much easier to be flexible about where a story begins than it ever was for me to change my mind about where…

John Irving

Image

“Only the chicken-lover will understand me. He will give me a kindly look, maybe mildly desirous. His eyes will tell me: You might look…

John Irving

Image

You're nice,' Cushie told him, squeezing his hand. 'And you're my oldest friend.' But they both must have known that you can know someone…

John Irving

Image

Explore all 641 John Irving quotes

More Certainly quotes

For not only every democracy, but certainly every republic, bears within itself the seeds of its own destruction.

Anonymous

Image

Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.

Fergus Henderson

Image

I would have done well as a gypsy child, I think. A circus baby. I coulda played a great street urchin or ragamuffin. Or…

Natasha Lyonne

Image

I mean those people who are interested in good government will certainly contribute in order to make certain there's some counter-balance to those whose…

Stephen Breyer

Image

I'm certainly not a perfect mother, but I'm trying to be what my mother wasn't for me. My mother's battled depression, so I understand…

Dorothy Hamill

Image

Design certainly has a cosmetic, aesthetic aim. It always aims at making things beautiful. But relevance is just as important. I often say, 'If…

Yves Behar

Image

If we can send a guy to the moon we can certainly go a quarter of a mile and not get hurt.

Don Prudhomme

Image

I've certainly seen a lot of my cartoonist friends embrace 'Little Lulu' in a much deeper way because their kids love it so much.…

Seth

Image

Righteousness and faith certainly are instrumental in moving mountains - if moving mountains accomplishes God's purposes and is in accordance with His will.

David A. Bednar