--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Love is understood, in a historical way…" description: "\"Love is understood, in a historical way, as one of the great human vocations - but its counterspell has always been infidelity. This terrible, terrible..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb1/junot-diaz-531_betrayal_love-is-understood-in-a-historical-way-a_1685458.jpg" --- # Love is understood, in a historical way, as one of the… ![“Love is understood, in a historical way, as one of the great human vocations - but its counterspell has always been infidelity. This terrible, terrible betrayal that can tear apart not only another person, not only oneself, but whole families.” quote by Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb1/junot-diaz-531_betrayal_love-is-understood-in-a-historical-way-a_1685458.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb1/junot-diaz-531_betrayal_love-is-understood-in-a-historical-way-a_1685458.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb1/junot-diaz-531_betrayal_love-is-understood-in-a-historical-way-a_1685458.jpg) > “Love is understood, in a historical way, as one of the great human vocations - but its counterspell has always been infidelity. This terrible, terrible betrayal that can tear apart not only another person, not only oneself, but whole families.” [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) ## 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 portrayed as a deep vocation, yet its opposite—infidelity—causes profound personal and familial damage. **In simple terms:** Love is a calling; betrayal hurts everyone. Key Takeaway Guard love with honesty. Themes love betrayal family trust Mood sad reflective Type philosophical cautionary When to use this quote - marriage - friendship - family gatherings - therapeutic counseling Key Concepts human relationships moral conflict Questions to Reflect On - What safeguards can you build to protect love? - How does betrayal reshape family dynamics? A Different Perspective Infidelity can stem from deeper unresolved issues, not just choice. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Betrayal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/betrayal/) [Historical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/historical/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Infidelity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/infidelity/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Tears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tears/) [Vocation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vocation/) [Whole family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whole-family/) ## Related quotes > [You see that's what I think is such a terrible, terrible betrayal, the trust that people have in government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-steadman/you-see-that-s-what-i-think-is-such-a-terrible-terrible-betrayal-the/) [Ralph Steadman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-steadman/) > [“The murder was terrible. The betrayal was worse.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-woods/the-murder-was-terrible-the-betrayal-was-worse/) Martin Woods > [I find infidelity interesting because it's so revelatory about people. It's this really silent thing. Everyone acknowledges it as a general practice, but nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/i-find-infidelity-interesting-because-it-s-so-revelatory-about-people/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [I grew up in an era where the record companies just sold records to everybody, and the whole family bought songs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-bennett/i-grew-up-in-an-era-where-the-record-companies-just-sold-records-to/) [Tony Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-bennett/) > [“When she got downstairs, the whole family was in the kitchen, including Lucas. His face lit up like Vegas when he saw her. She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-angelini/when-she-got-downstairs-the-whole-family-was-in-the-kitchen-including/) [Josephine Angelini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-angelini/) > [When you leave your country, it's hard to leave your family over there. My whole family is in Venezuela.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-cabrera/when-you-leave-your-country-it-s-hard-to-leave-your-family-over-there/) [Miguel Cabrera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-cabrera/) > [“If the mother falls, the whole family falls.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shilpi-somaya-gowda/if-the-mother-falls-the-whole-family-falls/) [Shilpi Somaya Gowda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shilpi-somaya-gowda/) > [My favorite Oscar story was a year my brother had been nominated, my whole family went.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beau-bridges/my-favorite-oscar-story-was-a-year-my-brother-had-been-nominated-my/) [Beau Bridges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beau-bridges/) > [The single greatest pleasure that I have in doing ('Bizarre Foods') is when I meet families with 6, 7, 8-year-olds, or teenagers, who say,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-zimmern/the-single-greatest-pleasure-that-i-have-in-doing-bizarre-foods-is/) [Andrew Zimmern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-zimmern/) > [People really care about Kim Kardashian: they know her, they watch her, they follow her on social media, they know about her whole family.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/people-really-care-about-kim-kardashian-they-know-her-they-watch-her/) [Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/) > [Police in China can do whatever they want; after 81 days in arbitrary detention you clearly realise that they don't have to obey their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/police-in-china-can-do-whatever-they-want-after-81-days-in-arbitrary/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [My whole family can talk. They are all car salesmen. They are all funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/my-whole-family-can-talk-they-are-all-car-salesmen-they-are-all-funny/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [My whole family is really close. I'm lucky for that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/landon-liboiron/my-whole-family-is-really-close-i-m-lucky-for-that/) [Landon Liboiron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/landon-liboiron/) > [“A woman isn’t just married to her husband, but to his whole family”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chanrithy-him/a-woman-isn-t-just-married-to-her-husband-but-to-his-whole-family/) Chanrithy Him > [“We saved the lives of a whole family that night. Children, parents, uncles, aunts, grandparents, all sailed to safety in Sweden inside a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steen-langstrup/we-saved-the-lives-of-a-whole-family-that-night-children-parents/) [Steen Langstrup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steen-langstrup/) ## More by Junot Diaz > [It might interest you that just as the U.S. was ramping up its involvement in Vietnam, LBJ launched an illegal invasion of the Dominican…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/it-might-interest-you-that-just-as-the-u-s-was-ramping-up-its/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [Tell her that you love her hair, that you love her skin, her lips, because, in truth, you love them more than you love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/tell-her-that-you-love-her-hair-that-you-love-her-skin-her-lips/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [It took me sixteen years to write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/it-took-me-sixteen-years-to-write/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [You ask everybody you know: How long does it usually take to get over it? There are many formulas. One year for every year…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/you-ask-everybody-you-know-how-long-does-it-usually-take-to-get-over/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [Instead of finding himself in nerd heaven—where every nerd gets fifty-eight virgins to role-play with—he woke up in Robert Wood Johnson with two broken…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/instead-of-finding-himself-in-nerd-heaven-where-every-nerd-gets-fifty/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [The one thing about being a dude and writing from a female perspective is that the baseline is, you suck. The baseline is it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/the-one-thing-about-being-a-dude-and-writing-from-a-female/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [“I used to think those were the barrio rules, Latinos and blacks in, whites out —a place we down cats weren’t supposed to go.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/i-used-to-think-those-were-the-barrio-rules-latinos-and-blacks-in/) [Junot Díaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [“I put my hand on her knee. I just wish you'd say you love me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/i-put-my-hand-on-her-knee-i-just-wish-you-d-say-you-love-me/) [Junot Díaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [I've always thought that you don't love a country by turning a blind eye to its crimes and to a problem. The way that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/i-ve-always-thought-that-you-don-t-love-a-country-by-turning-a-blind/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [“Called her a whore and attacked her walls, tearing down her posters and throwing her books everywhere. I found out because some whitegirl ran…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/called-her-a-whore-and-attacked-her-walls-tearing-down-her-posters/) [Junot Díaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [You're Dominican only if you do this, this, and that. And if you do this and that, you'll be accepted to a certain degree…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/you-re-dominican-only-if-you-do-this-this-and-that-and-if-you-do-this/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [“Ramfis fled the country after Trujillo's death, lived dissolutely off his father's swag, and ended up dying in a car crash of his own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/ramfis-fled-the-country-after-trujillo-s-death-lived-dissolutely-off/) [Junot Díaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [If you didn't grow up like I did then you don't know, and if you don't know it's probably better you don't judge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/if-you-didn-t-grow-up-like-i-did-then-you-don-t-know-and-if-you-don-t/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [“If you ask me I don't think there are any such things as curses. I think there is only life. That's enough.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/if-you-ask-me-i-don-t-think-there-are-any-such-things-as-curses-i/) [Junot Díaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [The only difference between a published and unpublished writer is a tolerance for imperfection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/the-only-difference-between-a-published-and-unpublished-writer-is-a/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) [Explore all 486 Junot Diaz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) ## More Betrayal quotes > [“That's the catch about betrayal, of course: that it feels good, that there's something immensely pleasurable about moving from a complicated relationship which involves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/that-s-the-catch-about-betrayal-of-course-that-it-feels-good-that/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) > [God’s faithfulness is stronger than our unfaithfulness and our infidelities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/god-s-faithfulness-is-stronger-than-our-unfaithfulness-and-our/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [“Flattery looks like friendship, just like a wolf looks like a dog.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-auliq-ice/flattery-looks-like-friendship-just-like-a-wolf-looks-like-a-dog/) [Oscar Auliq-Ice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-auliq-ice/) > [There is no deceit in death. It delivers precisely what it has promised. Betrayal, though ... betrayal is the willful slaughter of hope.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/km-ii/there-is-no-deceit-in-death-it-delivers-precisely-what-it-has/) [KM II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/km-ii/) > [If you leave someone for another person, don't be surprised if that person leaves you for someone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-leave-someone-for-another-person-don-t-be-surprised-if-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“As they say in New York, Get over it and, if you can't get over it, Get over talking about it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-keyes/as-they-say-in-new-york-get-over-it-and-if-you-can-t-get-over-it-get/) [Marian Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-keyes/) > [“He returned her gaze, yearning for sentimental solace; love which emanated from a familiar source, mattered little how bedevilling. They shared an intimate moment,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-h-septimius/he-returned-her-gaze-yearning-for-sentimental-solace-love-which/) [A. H. Septimius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-h-septimius/) > [I was always here for you,you knew you could count on me and trust me blindly, and you knew that I would never tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hayssus/i-was-always-here-for-you-you-knew-you-could-count-on-me-and-trust-me/) [Michael Hayssus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hayssus/) > [Joy doesn't betray but sustains activism. And when you face a politics that aspires to make you fearful, alienated and isolated, joy is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/joy-doesn-t-betray-but-sustains-activism-and-when-you-face-a-politics/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) > [“Betrayal and love are not mutually exclusive." (Mordred)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-mercer/betrayal-and-love-are-not-mutually-exclusive-mordred/) [Aldous Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-mercer/) > [Love comes exactly... To those who still hope, even though they've been disappointed. To those who still believe, even though they've been betrayed and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mizhan/love-comes-exactly-to-those-who-still-hope-even-though-they-ve-been/) [Mizhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mizhan/) > [For some people, a one-night stand doesn't make any difference in a seven-year love affair. I don't believe the degree of betrayal is always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-perel/for-some-people-a-one-night-stand-doesn-t-make-any-difference-in-a/) [Esther Perel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-perel/) > [Betrayal is a serious thing in this world,you know what else is serious? Being lied to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina/betrayal-is-a-serious-thing-in-this-world-you-know-what-else-is/) [Sabrina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina/) > [The greatest temptation for the like of us is: to renounce violence, to repent, to make peace with oneself. Most revolutionaries fell before this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-koestler/the-greatest-temptation-for-the-like-of-us-is-to-renounce-violence-to/) [Arthur Koestler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-koestler/) > [“Sarai, you never know who might betray you until it’s too late.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-a-redmerski/sarai-you-never-know-who-might-betray-you-until-it-s-too-late/) [J.A. Redmerski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-a-redmerski/) [Browse all 2,050 Betrayal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/betrayal/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Love is understood, in a historical way, as one of the great human vocations - but its counterspell has always been infidelity. 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