--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was thinking what a curious thing love…" description: "\"I was thinking what a curious thing love is; only a sentiment, and yet it has power to make fools of men and slaves of women.\" — Louisa May Alcott" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d69/louisa-may-alcott-318_curious_i-was-thinking-what-a-curious-thing-love_562495.png" --- # I was thinking what a curious thing love is; only a… ![“I was thinking what a curious thing love is; only a sentiment, and yet it has power to make fools of men and slaves of women.” quote by Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d69/louisa-may-alcott-318_curious_i-was-thinking-what-a-curious-thing-love_562495.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d69/louisa-may-alcott-318_curious_i-was-thinking-what-a-curious-thing-love_562495.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d69/louisa-may-alcott-318_curious_i-was-thinking-what-a-curious-thing-love_562495.png) > “I was thinking what a curious thing love is; only a sentiment, and yet it has power to make fools of men and slaves of women.” [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) ## 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 a fleeting feeling yet it can dominate and control people, making them act irrationally. **In simple terms:** Love can be powerful and foolish. Key Takeaway Beware love’s blind influence. Themes love power human folly Mood melancholic thoughtful Type literary reflective When to use this quote - relationships - gender dynamics - personal growth Key Concepts psychology romantic idealism Questions to Reflect On - Why do we accept love’s irrationality? - Can love be both empowering and limiting? A Different Perspective Love’s power can be destructive if unchecked. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Curious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/curious/) [Curious Thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/curious-thing-523700/) [Fool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fool/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Love is](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-is/) [Love Sentiment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-sentiment-2004873/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Sentiment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sentiment/) [Sentiments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sentiments/) [Slave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slave/) [Thing Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing-love/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Thinking Curious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking-curious-4659646/) ## Related quotes > [In love, there's sentiment and passion; I know only sentiment through myself, passion through others. I hear certain voices I know say: sentiment=love of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/berthe-morisot/in-love-there-s-sentiment-and-passion-i-know-only-sentiment-through/) [Berthe Morisot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/berthe-morisot/) > [“Love is not a sentiment or an emotion. It's the fact that we're all the same being in different disguises.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/love-is-not-a-sentiment-or-an-emotion-it-s-the-fact-that-we-re-all/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [Love is not a sentiment or feeling. Love is actively willing the good of the other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-barron/love-is-not-a-sentiment-or-feeling-love-is-actively-willing-the-good/) [Robert Barron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-barron/) > [“The sentiment may perceive and love the universe, but the universe cannot perceive and love the sentiment. The universe sees no distinction between the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moorcock/the-sentiment-may-perceive-and-love-the-universe-but-the-universe/) [Michael Moorcock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moorcock/) > [“I would like to show you how to love as I love; and this sentiment alone would raise you above your kind. But human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-cazotte/i-would-like-to-show-you-how-to-love-as-i-love-and-this-sentiment/) [Jacques Cazotte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-cazotte/) > [“That's the curious thing about love, isn't it? It makes very ordinary things seem special. It makes them seem so much more valuable than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/that-s-the-curious-thing-about-love-isn-t-it-it-makes-very-ordinary/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [One part of love is innocence One part of love is guilt One part the milk that in a sense Is soured as soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-barker/one-part-of-love-is-innocence-one-part-of-love-is-guilt-one-part-the/) [Clive Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-barker/) > [We will paste upon the curled pages words Like charming and romantic and sentimental Forgetting that charming is witchcraft Romantic is love And sentiment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emilie-autumn/we-will-paste-upon-the-curled-pages-words-like-charming-and-romantic/) [Emilie Autumn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emilie-autumn/) > [Men are always ready to die for us, but not to make our lives worth having. Cheap sentiment and bad logic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/men-are-always-ready-to-die-for-us-but-not-to-make-our-lives-worth/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [“It would seem probable that the attachment of such a one is of a tender and profound character; indeed, it is possible that in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-carpenter/it-would-seem-probable-that-the-attachment-of-such-a-one-is-of-a/) [Edward Carpenter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-carpenter/) > [F all of life comes down to love, then love has to be more than sentiment, more than selfishness and selfish gain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/f-all-of-life-comes-down-to-love-then-love-has-to-be-more-than/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [ANTIPATHY, n. The sentiment inspired by one's friend's friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/antipathy-n-the-sentiment-inspired-by-one-s-friend-s-friend/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [Why does a man cry? he wondered. Not like a woman; not for that. Not for sentiment. A man cries over the loss of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/why-does-a-man-cry-he-wondered-not-like-a-woman-not-for-that-not-for/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [A lost love. Deny it who will, ridicule it, treat it as mere imagination and sentiment, the thing is and will be; and women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dinah-maria-murlock-craik/a-lost-love-deny-it-who-will-ridicule-it-treat-it-as-mere-imagination/) [Dinah Maria Murlock Craik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dinah-maria-murlock-craik/) > [Sentiment is the mightiest force in civilization; not sentimentality, but sentiment. Women will bring this into politics. Home, sweet home, is as powerful on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-ellen-foster/sentiment-is-the-mightiest-force-in-civilization-not-sentimentality/) [Judith Ellen Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-ellen-foster/) ## More by Louisa May Alcott > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [“At three o'clock in the afternoon, all the fashionable world at Nice may be seen on the Promenade des Anglais—a charming place, for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/at-three-o-clock-in-the-afternoon-all-the-fashionable-world-at-nice/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [“Please could I say one word?" was the question three times repeated before a rough head boobed out from the grotto of books in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/please-could-i-say-one-word-was-the-question-three-times-repeated/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Elegance has a bad effect on my constitution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/elegance-has-a-bad-effect-on-my-constitution/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [“…the child's heart bled when it was broken.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/the-child-s-heart-bled-when-it-was-broken/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [“She would make a man of me. She puts strength and courage into me as no one else can. She is unlike any girl…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/she-would-make-a-man-of-me-she-puts-strength-and-courage-into-me-as/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [“I read somewhere that every inch of rope used in the British Navy has a strand of red in it, so that wherever a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/i-read-somewhere-that-every-inch-of-rope-used-in-the-british-navy-has/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [“Chance words spoken in kindness often help amazingly; and that's what old people are here for -- else their experience is of little use.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/chance-words-spoken-in-kindness-often-help-amazingly-and-that-s-what/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [“Tired of my own company, I suppose, now I've seen so much better.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/tired-of-my-own-company-i-suppose-now-i-ve-seen-so-much-better/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Oft in the silence of the night, When the lonely moon rides high, When wintry winds are whistling, And we hear the owl's shrill…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/oft-in-the-silence-of-the-night-when-the-lonely-moon-rides-high-when/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [But buds will be roses, and kittens, cats - more's the pity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/but-buds-will-be-roses-and-kittens-cats-more-s-the-pity/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [“I'll try and be what he loves to call me, 'a little woman' and not be rough and wild, but do my duty here…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/i-ll-try-and-be-what-he-loves-to-call-me-a-little-woman-and-not-be/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [“If you feel your value lies in being merely decorative, I fear that someday you might find yourself believing that’s all that you really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/if-you-feel-your-value-lies-in-being-merely-decorative-i-fear-that/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [“ "I do not ask for any crown But that which all may win; Nor try to conquer any world Except the world within." ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/i-do-not-ask-for-any-crown-but-that-which-all-may-win-nor-try-to/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Some books are so familiar that reading them is like being home again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/some-books-are-so-familiar-that-reading-them-is-like-being-home-again/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) [Explore all 681 Louisa May Alcott quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) ## More Curious quotes > [“What about you? What do you do?” I needed to ask questions, draw him out. I needed to find out all the information I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-avery-ellison/what-about-you-what-do-you-do-i-needed-to-ask-questions-draw-him-out/) [Kate Avery Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-avery-ellison/) > [Okay, so I'll admit I'm curious. Big deal. We both know what that leads to. Dead cat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-elizabeth-phillips/okay-so-i-ll-admit-i-m-curious-big-deal-we-both-know-what-that-leads/) [Susan Elizabeth Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-elizabeth-phillips/) > [A garden has a curious innocent way of consuming cash while all the time you are under the illusion that you are spending nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-meynell/a-garden-has-a-curious-innocent-way-of-consuming-cash-while-all-the/) [Esther Meynell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-meynell/) > [“The process of becoming curious is the movement away from simply living by what and how, and moving into the beautifully ambiguous and possibility-laden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/casey-tygrett/the-process-of-becoming-curious-is-the-movement-away-from-simply/) [Casey Tygrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/casey-tygrett/) > [Real breakthroughs are not found because you want to develop some new technology, but because you are curious and want to find out how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-zeilinger/real-breakthroughs-are-not-found-because-you-want-to-develop-some-new/) [Anton Zeilinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-zeilinger/) > [I don't know what successful journaling really looks like... I think it really does look so different for everyone who does it, I'm always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gracie-abrams/i-don-t-know-what-successful-journaling-really-looks-like-i-think-it/) [Gracie Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gracie-abrams/) > [“So curious you must be. Like little calves poking their heads through the fence with big eyes and a headful of curiosity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carew-papritz/so-curious-you-must-be-like-little-calves-poking-their-heads-through/) [Carew Papritz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carew-papritz/) > [Our world is drowning in a sea of self-centeredness. You can make yourself quite unique right away by leaving this ocean of selfishness and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bytheway/our-world-is-drowning-in-a-sea-of-self-centeredness-you-can-make/) [John Bytheway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bytheway/) > [Be curious not judge mental](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unknow/be-curious-not-judge-mental/) [Unknow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/unknow/) > [“It is curious how little interested we are in the sexual desires of those who do not attract us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/it-is-curious-how-little-interested-we-are-in-the-sexual-desires-of/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [International friendly games are not worth the lives of the silk worms who perish to make the pennants. They do not even have the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-baker/international-friendly-games-are-not-worth-the-lives-of-the-silk/) [Danny Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-baker/) > [Natural history is not taught in seminary. This is curious, as most people in pastoral ministry are about 567 times more likely to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-maitland/natural-history-is-not-taught-in-seminary-this-is-curious-as-most/) [Sara Maitland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-maitland/) > [Easy, Curious George! Get your grubby hands off of that wheel!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cena/easy-curious-george-get-your-grubby-hands-off-of-that-wheel/) [John Cena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cena/) > [We want to explore. We're curious people. Look back over history, people have put their lives at stake to go out and explore ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-collins/we-want-to-explore-we-re-curious-people-look-back-over-history-people/) [Eileen Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-collins/) > [When I think about unique insight, what I think about is here's your opportunity to tell me something that I don't know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-seibel/when-i-think-about-unique-insight-what-i-think-about-is-here-s-your/) [Michael Seibel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-seibel/) [Browse all 2,160 Curious quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/curious/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I was thinking what a curious thing love is; only a sentiment, and yet it has power to make fools of men and slaves of women.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Louisa May Alcott" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/i-was-thinking-what-a-curious-thing-love-is-only-a-sentiment-and-yet/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Curious" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/i-was-thinking-what-a-curious-thing-love-is-only-a-sentiment-and-yet/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d69/louisa-may-alcott-318_curious_i-was-thinking-what-a-curious-thing-love_562495.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d69/louisa-may-alcott-318_curious_i-was-thinking-what-a-curious-thing-love_562495.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d69/louisa-may-alcott-318_curious_i-was-thinking-what-a-curious-thing-love_562495.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I was thinking what a curious thing love is; only a sentiment, and yet it has power to make fools of men and…” — Louisa May Alcott", "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": "Louisa May Alcott", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I was thinking what a curious...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/i-was-thinking-what-a-curious-thing-love-is-only-a-sentiment-and-yet/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/i-was-thinking-what-a-curious-thing-love-is-only-a-sentiment-and-yet/#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 } } ] } ```