Anxiety Quote by Marcel Proust
“For, just as in the beginning it is formed by desire, so afterwards love is kept in existence only by painful anxiety.”
About This Quote
Source Book: In Search of Lost Time, Volume 1, 1913
Desire initiates love, but love endures only through ongoing, painful anxiety.
In simple terms: Love starts with desire, survives through anxiety.
Key Takeaway
Accept that love requires continual emotional work.
Themes
love
desire
anxiety
relationships
Mood
reflective
melancholy
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- romantic relationships
- long‑term partnerships
- personal growth
- emotional resilience
Key Concepts
existentialism
psychology
human condition
Questions to Reflect On
- How does anxiety shape your experience of love?
- Can love exist without anxiety?
A Different Perspective
Anxiety can become overwhelming, potentially harming well‑being.
![“For her [Françoise], wealth was like a necessary condition without which virtue would lack both merit and charm. She made so little distinction between the two that she came to see their qualities as interchangeable, expecting material comfort from virtue and moral edification from wealth.” quote by Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/573/marcel-proust-114_character_for-her-fran-oise-wealth-was-like-a-nece_2687.jpg)
