--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What is love for, if not to intensify our…" description: "\"“What is love for, if not to intensify our affections—both in life and death? But, O, do not be bitter. It is tragically self-destructive to be bitter...." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/551/john-piper-255_bitter_what-is-love-for-if-not-to-intensify-our_378316.png" --- # What is love for, if not to intensify our affections—both… ![“What is love for, if not to intensify our affections—both in life and death? But, O, do not be bitter. It is tragically self-destructive to be bitter.” quote by John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/551/john-piper-255_bitter_what-is-love-for-if-not-to-intensify-our_378316.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/551/john-piper-255_bitter_what-is-love-for-if-not-to-intensify-our_378316.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/551/john-piper-255_bitter_what-is-love-for-if-not-to-intensify-our_378316.png) > ““What is love for, if not to intensify our affections—both in life and death? But, O, do not be bitter. It is tragically self-destructive to be bitter.”” [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Love’s purpose is to deepen affection, not to foster bitterness; bitterness is self‑destructive. **In simple terms:** Love deepens affection; bitterness harms. Key Takeaway Cultivate love, avoid bitterness. Themes love emotions spirituality Mood reflective hopeful Type spiritual philosophical When to use this quote - relationships - personal growth - conflict resolution Key Concepts affection self‑destruction humanity Questions to Reflect On - How can you transform bitterness into compassion? - What actions deepen love in daily life? A Different Perspective Bitter feelings can arise despite good intentions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bitterness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bitterness/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Emotions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotions/) [Grief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grief/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life and death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-and-death/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) ## Related quotes > [“Death is only dreadful for those who live in dread and fear of it. 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Love will always and forever break your heart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustus-hill/and-love-well-if-sex-is-sweet-and-death-is-bitter-love-is-both-love/) Augustus Hill > [And as to you Death, and you bitter hug of mortality, it is idle to try to alarm me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-whitman/and-as-to-you-death-and-you-bitter-hug-of-mortality-it-is-idle-to-try-2/) [Walt Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-whitman/) > [Death is less bitter punishment than death's delay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ovid/death-is-less-bitter-punishment-than-death-s-delay/) [Ovid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ovid/) > [And as to you Death, and you bitter hug of mortality, it is idle to try to alarm me… And as to you corpse,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-whitman/and-as-to-you-death-and-you-bitter-hug-of-mortality-it-is-idle-to-try/) [Walt Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-whitman/) > [It's not the loss of life that makes the death bitter -- it's the obituaries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-esar/it-s-not-the-loss-of-life-that-makes-the-death-bitter-it-s-the/) [Evan Esar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-esar/) > [You cannot be inspired if you are surrounded with negativity, open the door and step into the inspirational garden of nature. Do not let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kemmy-nola/you-cannot-be-inspired-if-you-are-surrounded-with-negativity-open-the/) [Kemmy Nola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kemmy-nola/) > [Forgiving someone who've done you wrong or didn't treat you right could mean that you are allowing yourself to end up away from bitterness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/april-t-pascua/forgiving-someone-who-ve-done-you-wrong-or-didn-t-treat-you-right/) [April T Pascua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/april-t-pascua/) > [“No," I say. "I didn't know that," and as I say it I feel flooded with bitterness at all the things Ingrid kept secret…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-lacour/no-i-say-i-didn-t-know-that-and-as-i-say-it-i-feel-flooded-with/) [Nina LaCour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-lacour/) > [Life appears to me too short to be spent in nursing animosity, or registering wrongs. 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Stunich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-m-stunich/) > [Stronger than alcohol, vaster than poetry, Ferment the freckled red bitterness of love!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-rimbaud/stronger-than-alcohol-vaster-than-poetry-ferment-the-freckled-red/) [Arthur Rimbaud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-rimbaud/) > [If Japanese tea 'stands,' it acquires a coarse bitterness and an unwholesome astringency. Milk and sugar are not used.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabella-bird/if-japanese-tea-stands-it-acquires-a-coarse-bitterness-and-an/) [Isabella Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabella-bird/) > [You should be angry. You must not be bitter. Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host. It doesn't do anything to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/you-should-be-angry-you-must-not-be-bitter-bitterness-is-like-cancer/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) ## More by John Piper > [“Even in the miserable guilt we feel over our beastlike insensitivity, the glory of God shines. If God were not gloriously desirable, why would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/even-in-the-miserable-guilt-we-feel-over-our-beastlike-insensitivity/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [The absence of God in most spheres of life is perceived to be normal, and even Christians feel it as normal - which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/the-absence-of-god-in-most-spheres-of-life-is-perceived-to-be-normal/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [“The Spirit inspired the Word and therefore He goes where the Word goes. 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But I'm not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-pleshette/troy-was-a-sweet-good-man-we-just-were-never-destined-to-be-married/) [Suzanne Pleshette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-pleshette/) > [You should be angry. You must not be bitter. Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host. 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Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [Life is too bitter already, without territories and wars and noble feuds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-too-bitter-already-without-territories-and-wars-and-noble/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [With every interview you feel like you lose a piece of yourself, and with every bad review you become just that little bit more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-march/with-every-interview-you-feel-like-you-lose-a-piece-of-yourself-and/) [Jane March](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-march/) > [“Without the bitter, the sweet ain’t as sweet.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/without-the-bitter-the-sweet-ain-t-as-sweet/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I refuse to be one of those artists who, 10 years from now, they're bitter about the rise and the fall of their career.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-bryan/i-refuse-to-be-one-of-those-artists-who-10-years-from-now-they-re/) [Luke Bryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-bryan/) > [“In these days in which we live, when existence has become a thing of infinite complexity and fate, if it slips us a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-g-wodehouse/in-these-days-in-which-we-live-when-existence-has-become-a-thing-of/) [P.G. 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