--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Genuine love is volitional rather than…" description: "\"Genuine love is volitional rather than emotional. The person who truely loves does so because of a decision to love. This person has made a commitment ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a8/m-scott-peck-1921_acting_genuine-love-is-volitional-rather-than-e_790121.jpg" --- # Genuine love is volitional rather than emotional. The… ![“Genuine love is volitional rather than emotional. The person who truely loves does so because of a decision to love. This person has made a commitment to be loving whether or not the loving feeling is present. ...Conversely, it is not only possible but necessary for a loving person to avoid acting…” quote by M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a8/m-scott-peck-1921_acting_genuine-love-is-volitional-rather-than-e_790121.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a8/m-scott-peck-1921_acting_genuine-love-is-volitional-rather-than-e_790121.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a8/m-scott-peck-1921_acting_genuine-love-is-volitional-rather-than-e_790121.jpg) > “Genuine love is volitional rather than emotional. The person who truely loves does so because of a decision to love. This person has made a commitment to be loving whether or not the loving feeling is present. ...Conversely, it is not only possible but necessary for a loving person to avoid acting on feelings of love.” [M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/) ## 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 conscious choice, not merely an emotion; commitment persists despite feeling. **In simple terms:** Love is a decision, not just a feeling. Key Takeaway Choose love even when emotions waver. Themes relationships commitment volition Mood reflective thoughtful Type psychological philosophical When to use this quote - marriage - parenting - friendships Key Concepts psychology ethics Questions to Reflect On - Can love be sustained without feeling? - What role do emotions play in commitment? A Different Perspective Emotions can be essential for deep connection. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Commitment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commitment/) [Decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision/) [Doe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doe/) [Emotional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotional/) [Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/) [Feelings Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings-love/) [Genuine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genuine/) [Genuine love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genuine-love/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Love Does](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-does/) [Love is](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-is/) [Love Person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-person/) [Love Volitional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-volitional-1227030/) [Loving person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loving-person/) [Made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/made/) [Persons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persons/) [Volitional Emotional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/volitional-emotional-5421315/) ## Related quotes > [Genuine love is volitional rather than emotional.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/genuine-love-is-volitional-rather-than-emotional/) [M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/) > [“I have defined love as the will to extend oneself for the purpose of nurturing one's own or another's spiritual growth. Genuine love is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/i-have-defined-love-as-the-will-to-extend-oneself-for-the-purpose-of/) [M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/) > [Love is not a feeling. 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No matter how open to or eager for it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/falling-in-love-is-not-an-act-of-will-it-is-not-a-conscious-choice-no/) [M. 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But it hurts more because the people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/its-hard-to-keep-your-feelings-for-the-one-you-love-lalo-na-kung/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It is difficult to hide your feelings from someone you love, but easy with other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/it-is-difficult-to-hide-your-feelings-from-someone-you-love-but-easy/) [Mak\_786](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mak-786/) ## More by M. Scott Peck > [But I already saw no great difference between the psyche and spirituality. To amass knowledge without becoming wise is not my idea of progress…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/but-i-already-saw-no-great-difference-between-the-psyche-and/) [M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/) > [As I grow through love, so grows my joy, ever more present, ever more constant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/as-i-grow-through-love-so-grows-my-joy-ever-more-present-ever-more/) [M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/) > [“Life is difficult.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/life-is-difficult/) [M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/) > [“The second most common misconception about love is the idea that dependency is love...Its effect is seen most dramatically in an individual who makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/the-second-most-common-misconception-about-love-is-the-idea-that/) [M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/) > [Although I was raised in a profoundly secular home, I had a belief, an awareness of God, from as far back as I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/although-i-was-raised-in-a-profoundly-secular-home-i-had-a-belief-an/) [M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/) > [I've gone to great lengths not to be a guru. I think the notion of guruhood is utterly pathological, and I couldn't live that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/i-ve-gone-to-great-lengths-not-to-be-a-guru-i-think-the-notion-of/) [M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/) > [The whole course of human history may depend on a change of heart in one solitary and even humble individual - for it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/the-whole-course-of-human-history-may-depend-on-a-change-of-heart-in/) [M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/) > [The act of loving is an act of self-evolution even when the purpose of the act is someone else's growth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/the-act-of-loving-is-an-act-of-self-evolution-even-when-the-purpose/) [M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/) > [“Benjamin Franklin said, “Those things that hurt, instruct.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/benjamin-franklin-said-those-things-that-hurt-instruct/) [M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/) > [Abandon the urge to simplify everything, to look for formulas and easy answers, and to begin to think multidimensionally, to glory in the mystery…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/abandon-the-urge-to-simplify-everything-to-look-for-formulas-and-easy/) [M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/) > [Listening well is an exercise of attention and by necessity hard work. It is because they do not realize this or because they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/listening-well-is-an-exercise-of-attention-and-by-necessity-hard-work/) [M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/) > [“It is not selfishness or unselfishness that distinguishes love from non-love; it is the aim of the action.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/it-is-not-selfishness-or-unselfishness-that-distinguishes-love-from/) [M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/) > [Love is too large, too deep ever to be truly understood or measured or limited within the framework of words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/love-is-too-large-too-deep-ever-to-be-truly-understood-or-measured-or/) [M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/) > [There is no act of love that is not an act of work or courage. No exceptions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/there-is-no-act-of-love-that-is-not-an-act-of-work-or-courage-no/) [M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/) > [To be free people we must assume total responsibility for ourselves, but in doing so must possess the capacity to reject responsibility that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/to-be-free-people-we-must-assume-total-responsibility-for-ourselves/) [M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/) [Explore all 198 M. Scott Peck quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/) ## More Acting quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. 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Sometimes it takes longer than what you can give.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-sean/acting-is-a-grind-just-like-music-is-a-grind-sometimes-it-takes/) [Big Sean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-sean/) > [It was only when I started making short films in college and I was looking for girls to play the me-ish parts that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lena-dunham/it-was-only-when-i-started-making-short-films-in-college-and-i-was/) [Lena Dunham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lena-dunham/) > [Writing is something I took up rather than anything I had an inclination toward. I like acting -delivering someone else's message - but writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/writing-is-something-i-took-up-rather-than-anything-i-had-an/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [I can still function when I don't have that balance I crave. 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