--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think love is an imperative. It…" description: "\"“I think love is an imperative. It obligates you.”\" — Marisa de los Santos" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fcb/marisa-de-los-santos-8391_imperative_i-think-love-is-an-imperative-it-obligat_3074764.jpg" --- # I think love is an imperative. It obligates you. ![“I think love is an imperative. It obligates you.” quote by Marisa de los Santos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fcb/marisa-de-los-santos-8391_imperative_i-think-love-is-an-imperative-it-obligat_3074764.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fcb/marisa-de-los-santos-8391_imperative_i-think-love-is-an-imperative-it-obligat_3074764.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fcb/marisa-de-los-santos-8391_imperative_i-think-love-is-an-imperative-it-obligat_3074764.jpg) > ““I think love is an imperative. It obligates you.”” [Marisa de los Santos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marisa-de-los-santos/) ## 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 presented as a moral duty that compels action and responsibility. **In simple terms:** Love demands commitment and action. Key Takeaway Treat love as a guiding responsibility. Themes love ethics relationships Mood thoughtful intimate Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - marriage counseling - friendship building - community service Key Concepts moral philosophy commitment human connection Questions to Reflect On - What responsibilities does love impose on you? - Can love be balanced with personal boundaries? A Different Perspective Love alone may not resolve practical conflicts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Imperative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imperative/) [Imperative Obligates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imperative-obligates-5218123/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Love Does](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-does/) [Love Imperative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-imperative-819005/) [Obligates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obligates-5218124/) [Think Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-love/) ## Related quotes > [In a world filled with mistrust, armed to the teeth and ready to explode, a realistic attitude might be to consider love as an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominique-de-menil/in-a-world-filled-with-mistrust-armed-to-the-teeth-and-ready-to/) [Dominique de Menil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominique-de-menil/) > [“I don’t think love is blind, true love is probably the most clear-eyed state of being there is.’ ‘Maybe you’re right. Maybe with true…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marisa-de-los-santos/i-don-t-think-love-is-blind-true-love-is-probably-the-most-clear-eyed/) [Marisa de los Santos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marisa-de-los-santos/) > [I think love is a really hard thing to define. I think it's multifaceted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sienna-miller/i-think-love-is-a-really-hard-thing-to-define-i-think-it-s/) [Sienna Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sienna-miller/) > [“I think when love sneaks up on you, when it grabs onto you when you least expect it, maybe that's more of a sign…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nyrae-dawn/i-think-when-love-sneaks-up-on-you-when-it-grabs-onto-you-when-you/) [Nyrae Dawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nyrae-dawn/) > [Some think love can be measured by the amount of butterflies in their tummy. Others think love can be measured in bunches of flowers,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-keyes/some-think-love-can-be-measured-by-the-amount-of-butterflies-in-their/) [Marian Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-keyes/) > [A categorical imperative would be one which represented an action as objectively necessary in itself, without reference to any other purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/a-categorical-imperative-would-be-one-which-represented-an-action-as/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [In Holland I have seen well-meaning, principled people blinded by multiculturalism, overwhelmed by the imperative to be sensitive and respectful of immigrant culture, while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayaan-hirsi-ali/in-holland-i-have-seen-well-meaning-principled-people-blinded-by/) [Ayaan Hirsi Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayaan-hirsi-ali/) > [“The aesthetical imperative: If you desire to see, learn how to act”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinz-von-foerster/the-aesthetical-imperative-if-you-desire-to-see-learn-how-to-act/) [Heinz von Foerster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinz-von-foerster/) > [“Functional programming has excellent support for writing imperative programs, with the added benefit that such programs can be reasoned about equationally because they're referentially…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/functional-programming-has-excellent-support-for-writing-imperative/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We live in a permanent state of bad faith, a mutual representation of ourselves to one another for the sake of remaining sane and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-ligotti/we-live-in-a-permanent-state-of-bad-faith-a-mutual-representation-of/) [Thomas Ligotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-ligotti/) > ['Eternal inflation,' as it's called - the endless generation of new universes - may be a hyper-cosmic imperative. It seems that it must happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/eternal-inflation-as-it-s-called-the-endless-generation-of-new/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) > [The typical imperative from biology is not "Thou shalt... ," but "If ... then ... else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/the-typical-imperative-from-biology-is-not-thou-shalt-but-if-then-else/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [Protecting our planet is a moral imperative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johan-rockstrom/protecting-our-planet-is-a-moral-imperative/) [Johan Rockstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johan-rockstrom/) > [Gender equality cannot be achieved by cutting programs that allow girls to get the same chance to compete, learn, and play. The United States…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-sanchez/gender-equality-cannot-be-achieved-by-cutting-programs-that-allow/) [Linda Sanchez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-sanchez/) > [And I think we need a combination of a freeze, potentially, and also we need to sit down with the - with the banking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-wasserman-schultz/and-i-think-we-need-a-combination-of-a-freeze-potentially-and-also-we/) [Debbie Wasserman Schultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-wasserman-schultz/) ## More by Marisa de los Santos > [“I spoke, I listened, and my heart broke, which is to say that it didn't break at all but became suddenly aware of its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marisa-de-los-santos/i-spoke-i-listened-and-my-heart-broke-which-is-to-say-that-it-didn-t/) [Marisa de los Santos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marisa-de-los-santos/) > [“But every time, what brought me to my senses was my conviction that before a person dropped a new life into this world, she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marisa-de-los-santos/but-every-time-what-brought-me-to-my-senses-was-my-conviction-that/) [Marisa de los Santos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marisa-de-los-santos/) > [“Clare wasn't worried anymore about their being mean to each other. She imagined that someday she'd be part of a friendship in which she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marisa-de-los-santos/clare-wasn-t-worried-anymore-about-their-being-mean-to-each-other-she/) [Marisa de los Santos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marisa-de-los-santos/) > [“But you're wrong. Happiness is EARNED, like everything else. It's achieved.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marisa-de-los-santos/but-you-re-wrong-happiness-is-earned-like-everything-else-it-s/) [Marisa de los Santos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marisa-de-los-santos/) > [“Since you left there's been a you-shaped space beside me, all the time. It never goes away.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marisa-de-los-santos/since-you-left-there-s-been-a-you-shaped-space-beside-me-all-the-time/) [Marisa de los Santos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marisa-de-los-santos/) > [“In my experience, people love what they love. They just do. Or fail to love what they fail to love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marisa-de-los-santos/in-my-experience-people-love-what-they-love-they-just-do-or-fail-to/) [Marisa de los Santos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marisa-de-los-santos/) > [“She's the main character in her story, just like I'm the main character in mine.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marisa-de-los-santos/she-s-the-main-character-in-her-story-just-like-i-m-the-main/) [Marisa de los Santos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marisa-de-los-santos/) > [“A real life doesn’t mean getting what you want; the achievement, the priviledge, too, is knowing what you love. But getting what you love?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marisa-de-los-santos/a-real-life-doesn-t-mean-getting-what-you-want-the-achievement-the/) [Marisa de los Santos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marisa-de-los-santos/) > [“He wasn’t looking at her, was at such an oblique angle to her that his face was little more than a sliver, but she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marisa-de-los-santos/he-wasn-t-looking-at-her-was-at-such-an-oblique-angle-to-her-that-his/) [Marisa de los Santos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marisa-de-los-santos/) > [“We were friends. It was as big a deal as being in love.” She tried to think of a way to make Amelie understand.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marisa-de-los-santos/we-were-friends-it-was-as-big-a-deal-as-being-in-love-she-tried-to/) [Marisa de los Santos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marisa-de-los-santos/) > [“...in my family I have comrades-hearty and loyal-when what I need are intimates, and I've never figured out how to get us all to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marisa-de-los-santos/in-my-family-i-have-comrades-hearty-and-loyal-when-what-i-need-are/) [Marisa de los Santos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marisa-de-los-santos/) > [“There are people whose deaths make you ache with sadness. And then there are people whose deaths prevent the sun from rising, deaths that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marisa-de-los-santos/there-are-people-whose-deaths-make-you-ache-with-sadness-and-then/) [Marisa de los Santos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marisa-de-los-santos/) > [“Pen realized it: Sometimes there is nothing to do but surrender yourself to wonder... You must stop measuring - over and over - the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marisa-de-los-santos/pen-realized-it-sometimes-there-is-nothing-to-do-but-surrender/) [Marisa de los Santos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marisa-de-los-santos/) > [“You know what he said? He said that being away from me is less like being away from a person than being away from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marisa-de-los-santos/you-know-what-he-said-he-said-that-being-away-from-me-is-less-like/) [Marisa de los Santos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marisa-de-los-santos/) > [“When you say those wedding vows at eighteen, you are committing yourselves—with all that you are and all that you have—to only each other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marisa-de-los-santos/when-you-say-those-wedding-vows-at-eighteen-you-are-committing/) [Marisa de los Santos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marisa-de-los-santos/) [Explore all 81 Marisa de los Santos quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marisa-de-los-santos/) ## More Imperative quotes > [In Holland I have seen well-meaning, principled people blinded by multiculturalism, overwhelmed by the imperative to be sensitive and respectful of immigrant culture, while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayaan-hirsi-ali/in-holland-i-have-seen-well-meaning-principled-people-blinded-by/) [Ayaan Hirsi Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayaan-hirsi-ali/) > [Protecting our planet is a moral imperative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johan-rockstrom/protecting-our-planet-is-a-moral-imperative/) [Johan Rockstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johan-rockstrom/) > [A categorical imperative would be one which represented an action as objectively necessary in itself, without reference to any other purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/a-categorical-imperative-would-be-one-which-represented-an-action-as/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [Gender equality cannot be achieved by cutting programs that allow girls to get the same chance to compete, learn, and play. The United States…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-sanchez/gender-equality-cannot-be-achieved-by-cutting-programs-that-allow/) [Linda Sanchez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-sanchez/) > [And I think we need a combination of a freeze, potentially, and also we need to sit down with the - with the banking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-wasserman-schultz/and-i-think-we-need-a-combination-of-a-freeze-potentially-and-also-we/) [Debbie Wasserman Schultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-wasserman-schultz/) > [The typical imperative from biology is not "Thou shalt... ," but "If ... then ... else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/the-typical-imperative-from-biology-is-not-thou-shalt-but-if-then-else/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > ['Eternal inflation,' as it's called - the endless generation of new universes - may be a hyper-cosmic imperative. It seems that it must happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/eternal-inflation-as-it-s-called-the-endless-generation-of-new/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) > [We live in a permanent state of bad faith, a mutual representation of ourselves to one another for the sake of remaining sane and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-ligotti/we-live-in-a-permanent-state-of-bad-faith-a-mutual-representation-of/) [Thomas Ligotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-ligotti/) > [“Functional programming has excellent support for writing imperative programs, with the added benefit that such programs can be reasoned about equationally because they're referentially…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/functional-programming-has-excellent-support-for-writing-imperative/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The aesthetical imperative: If you desire to see, learn how to act”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinz-von-foerster/the-aesthetical-imperative-if-you-desire-to-see-learn-how-to-act/) [Heinz von Foerster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinz-von-foerster/) > [With golf becoming part of the Olympics now, it is even more imperative that more of the middle class get access to the sport.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeev-milkha-singh/with-golf-becoming-part-of-the-olympics-now-it-is-even-more/) [Jeev Milkha Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeev-milkha-singh/) > [“A basic moral imperative is in play here. If you can protect a child, you must.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/a-basic-moral-imperative-is-in-play-here-if-you-can-protect-a-child/) [Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/) > [It is imperative for the health and safety of millions of workers that we ensure that breathing systems needed for protection are widely available,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shuster/it-is-imperative-for-the-health-and-safety-of-millions-of-workers/) [Bill Shuster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shuster/) > [My education was dominated by modernist thinkers and artists who taught me that the supreme imperative was courage to face the awful truth, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-willis/my-education-was-dominated-by-modernist-thinkers-and-artists-who/) [Ellen Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-willis/) > [Diversifying our tech talent pool is an imperative for the tech sector. More diverse engineers and entrepreneurs will bring about a new type of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-kapor/diversifying-our-tech-talent-pool-is-an-imperative-for-the-tech/) [Mitch Kapor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-kapor/) [Browse all 82 Imperative quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imperative/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I think love is an imperative. 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