---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think it takes some terrible or great…"
description: "\"“I think it takes some terrible or great event to fuse two people together without inhibition. Without heat or shock, it can't be done. I believe that'..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7c/mark-helprin-1171_couple_i-think-it-takes-some-terrible-or-great_1693946.png"
---

#  I think it takes some terrible or great event to fuse two…

![“I think it takes some terrible or great event to fuse two people together without inhibition. Without heat or shock, it can't be done. I believe that's why sexual love, which needn't be, is so intensely intertwined with sin.” quote by Mark Helprin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7c/mark-helprin-1171_couple_i-think-it-takes-some-terrible-or-great_1693946.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7c/mark-helprin-1171_couple_i-think-it-takes-some-terrible-or-great_1693946.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7c/mark-helprin-1171_couple_i-think-it-takes-some-terrible-or-great_1693946.png)

> ““I think it takes some terrible or great event to fuse two people together without inhibition. Without heat or shock, it can't be done. I believe that's why sexual love, which needn't be, is so intensely intertwined with sin.””

[Mark Helprin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-helprin/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Intense shared trauma can bind people deeply, making love feel sinful because it bypasses ordinary restraint.

**In simple terms:** Trauma can create strong bonds that feel forbidden.

Key Takeaway

Recognize how crisis shapes relationships.

Themes

love trauma morality intimacy

Mood

reflective somber

Type

philosophical literary

When to use this quote

- war experiences
- personal loss
- relationship counseling
- spiritual reflection

Key Concepts

psychology philosophy ethics

Questions to Reflect On

- How does shared suffering affect trust?
- Can love thrive without dramatic events?

A Different Perspective

Such bonds may be fragile and dependent on ongoing conflict.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Couple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/couple/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Sex](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sex/) [Shock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shock/) [Sin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sin/)

## Related quotes

> [I don't believe in sexual love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-s-crisp/i-don-t-believe-in-sexual-love/)

[Quentin S. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-s-crisp/)

> [Despite what you've been conditioned to believe, sexual desire is sacred and virtuous. When you and your beloved merge physically and emotionally, you go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/despite-what-you-ve-been-conditioned-to-believe-sexual-desire-is/)

[Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/)

> [I do believe in sexual monogamy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sutton-foster/i-do-believe-in-sexual-monogamy/)

[Sutton Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sutton-foster/)

> [“This isn’t because I am under the impression that all women share the same needs, values, beliefs, or experiences, but because the survivor I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/404-ink/this-isn-t-because-i-am-under-the-impression-that-all-women-share-the/)

 404 Ink

> [I think it is the height of ignorance to believe that the sexual act is an independent function necessary like sleeping or eating. Seeing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-think-it-is-the-height-of-ignorance-to-believe-that-the-sexual-act/)

[Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/)

> [“Straight people are encouraged by culture and society to believe that their sexual impulses are the norm, and therefore when their affairs of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/straight-people-are-encouraged-by-culture-and-society-to-believe-that/)

[Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/)

> [“believe that sexual desire is a powerful emotion and a healthy one. I’m pretty sure that when anyone acknowledges and acts on their desire,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-allison/believe-that-sexual-desire-is-a-powerful-emotion-and-a-healthy-one-i/)

[Dorothy Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-allison/)

> [I believe in sexual monogamy, but I don't believe in emotional monogamy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nico-tortorella/i-believe-in-sexual-monogamy-but-i-don-t-believe-in-emotional-monogamy/)

[Nico Tortorella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nico-tortorella/)

> [By the time it's considered socially acceptable to start screwing, most of us are sexually constipated, and this is often an incurable condition. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madalyn-murray-o-hair/by-the-time-it-s-considered-socially-acceptable-to-start-screwing/)

[Madalyn Murray O'Hair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madalyn-murray-o-hair/)

> [Every adult life could be said to be defined by two great love stories: the story of our quest for sexual love and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/every-adult-life-could-be-said-to-be-defined-by-two-great-love/)

[Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/)

> [The only perfect love to be found on earth is not sexual love, which is riddled with hostility and insecurity, but the wordless commitment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germaine-greer/the-only-perfect-love-to-be-found-on-earth-is-not-sexual-love-which/)

[Germaine Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germaine-greer/)

> [For youth, sexual love is whim; for the aged, luxury.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gaede/for-youth-sexual-love-is-whim-for-the-aged-luxury/)

[Bill Gaede](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gaede/)

> [Erotic or sexual love can truly be love if it is not selfishly sexual or lustful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mortimer-adler/erotic-or-sexual-love-can-truly-be-love-if-it-is-not-selfishly-sexual/)

[Mortimer Adler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mortimer-adler/)

> [Mother love is the most powerful, the most irrational force on earth, even more powerful than sexual love. However, one does lead to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-mae-brown/mother-love-is-the-most-powerful-the-most-irrational-force-on-earth/)

[Rita Mae Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-mae-brown/)

> [Sexual love is the most stupendous fact of the universe, and the most magical mystery our poor blind senses know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-lowell/sexual-love-is-the-most-stupendous-fact-of-the-universe-and-the-most/)

[Amy Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-lowell/)

## More by Mark Helprin

> [“Defiance, Catherine, is a gift of God, who is superior to nature. When nature comes to get you, honor God by treating it, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-helprin/defiance-catherine-is-a-gift-of-god-who-is-superior-to-nature-when/)

[Mark Helprin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-helprin/)

> [Because there were all kinds of hell - some were black and dirty, and some were silvery and high.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-helprin/because-there-were-all-kinds-of-hell-some-were-black-and-dirty-and/)

[Mark Helprin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-helprin/)

> [“In living, one muddles through the years for the sake of those one or two moments which are indisputably great.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-helprin/in-living-one-muddles-through-the-years-for-the-sake-of-those-one-or/)

[Mark Helprin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-helprin/)

> [“Do you know why you walk slowly when you’re old?” “No.” “Because with age you receive the gift of friction. The less time you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-helprin/do-you-know-why-you-walk-slowly-when-you-re-old-no-because-with-age/)

[Mark Helprin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-helprin/)

> [The British monarchy has the political and constitutional task of subtracting from the government and governors of Britain the papal and kingly airs that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-helprin/the-british-monarchy-has-the-political-and-constitutional-task-of/)

[Mark Helprin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-helprin/)

> [“Your time is a good time, and though I have to leave, you can stay. How lucky you are to be in the city…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-helprin/your-time-is-a-good-time-and-though-i-have-to-leave-you-can-stay-how/)

[Mark Helprin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-helprin/)

> [Truth is no rounder than a horse's eye.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-helprin/truth-is-no-rounder-than-a-horse-s-eye/)

[Mark Helprin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-helprin/)

> [They were dancing around the fountain, arm in arm, in an old Dutch dance, their cheeks touching, their hands entwined. They had no music;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-helprin/they-were-dancing-around-the-fountain-arm-in-arm-in-an-old-dutch/)

[Mark Helprin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-helprin/)

> [For what can be imagined more beautiful than the sight of a perfectly just city rejoicing in justice alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-helprin/for-what-can-be-imagined-more-beautiful-than-the-sight-of-a-perfectly/)

[Mark Helprin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-helprin/)

> [I follow my own nose. So I read things that are different. People will always say to me, "Have you read Robert S. Bosco's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-helprin/i-follow-my-own-nose-so-i-read-things-that-are-different-people-will/)

[Mark Helprin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-helprin/)

> [“If all the months and all their days could be like June weather in New York, there would be paradise on earth. Often, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-helprin/if-all-the-months-and-all-their-days-could-be-like-june-weather-in/)

[Mark Helprin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-helprin/)

> [“At least until there are new lakes in the clouds that open upon living cities as yet unknown, and perhaps forever, that is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-helprin/at-least-until-there-are-new-lakes-in-the-clouds-that-open-upon/)

[Mark Helprin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-helprin/)

> [You will most appreciate 'Freddy and Fredericka' if you are familiar with the story of the Fall, the Good Hermit, 'Tom Jones,' 'Huckleberry Finn,'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-helprin/you-will-most-appreciate-freddy-and-fredericka-if-you-are-familiar/)

[Mark Helprin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-helprin/)

> [their powerlessness, innocence, and imagination fused to enable them to turn time inside out, travel on the wind, and enter the souls of animals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-helprin/their-powerlessness-innocence-and-imagination-fused-to-enable-them-to/)

[Mark Helprin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-helprin/)

> ['Freeing' a literary work into the public domain is less a public benefit than a transfer of wealth from the families of American writers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-helprin/freeing-a-literary-work-into-the-public-domain-is-less-a-public/)

[Mark Helprin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-helprin/)

[Explore all 279 Mark Helprin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-helprin/)

## More Couple quotes

> [I read a couple of books about neuroscience and the relationship between the mind and the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-read-a-couple-of-books-about-neuroscience-and-the-relationship/)

[Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/)

> [Sometimes they were together so often that it felt as though they really were a couple; sometimes weeks and months would go by before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-they-were-together-so-often-that-it-felt-as-though-they/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [In a couple of decades you have half of the wells that are drilled right now, and you're talking about numbers in the millions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-fox/in-a-couple-of-decades-you-have-half-of-the-wells-that-are-drilled/)

[Josh Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-fox/)

> [As you'll never hear the thing again, my boy, why not throw in a couple of brass bands?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-beecham/as-you-ll-never-hear-the-thing-again-my-boy-why-not-throw-in-a-couple/)

[Thomas Beecham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-beecham/)

> [I've had a couple knockouts, but I feel good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wanderlei-silva/i-ve-had-a-couple-knockouts-but-i-feel-good/)

[Wanderlei Silva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wanderlei-silva/)

> [There are bands that I am friends with, who will invite me up on stage. Like Les Savy Fav, who have had me on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-armisen/there-are-bands-that-i-am-friends-with-who-will-invite-me-up-on-stage/)

[Fred Armisen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-armisen/)

> [I can get along great with the Hispanics. In fact, I sure would like to meet them, even the politicians, maybe in the back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-arpaio/i-can-get-along-great-with-the-hispanics-in-fact-i-sure-would-like-to/)

[Joe Arpaio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-arpaio/)

> [After I finished college, I got a job on Wall Street as a derivatives trader, but after a couple years of it, I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philipp-meyer/after-i-finished-college-i-got-a-job-on-wall-street-as-a-derivatives/)

[Philipp Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philipp-meyer/)

> [I took guitar lessons and recorded the song in New York. It was kind of a dream. I got to pretend I was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-wiig/i-took-guitar-lessons-and-recorded-the-song-in-new-york-it-was-kind/)

[Kristen Wiig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-wiig/)

> [I met Tyler Perry and we did 'House of Payne' and a movie. We've done a couple other films since then, but it all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-gross/i-met-tyler-perry-and-we-did-house-of-payne-and-a-movie-we-ve-done-a/)

[Lance Gross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-gross/)

> [For me to even be talking about bikini confidence is crazy. If you had asked me a couple of months ago, I probably would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordin-sparks/for-me-to-even-be-talking-about-bikini-confidence-is-crazy-if-you-had/)

[Jordin Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordin-sparks/)

> [“Natalie was bored in her marriage. At first she could hardly admit it to herself. After all, they were a perfect match: similar backgrounds,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-becker-holstein/natalie-was-bored-in-her-marriage-at-first-she-could-hardly-admit-it/)

[Barbara Becker Holstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-becker-holstein/)

> [On Valentine's Day, couples in Calgary can celebrate their love for each other with couples' nude yoga - great way to get in shape…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-sagal/on-valentine-s-day-couples-in-calgary-can-celebrate-their-love-for/)

[Peter Sagal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-sagal/)

> [Sometimes, when you've got a couple of females on the cast, you'll have a diva, or you'll have arguments. I've been on shows where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-whittle/sometimes-when-you-ve-got-a-couple-of-females-on-the-cast-you-ll-have/)

[Ricky Whittle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-whittle/)

> [In the 1998 Oscars, I found myself in the bathroom in a stall, next to Tom Selleck. So I leaned over and I said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hanks/in-the-1998-oscars-i-found-myself-in-the-bathroom-in-a-stall-next-to/)

[Tom Hanks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hanks/)

[Browse all 5,003 Couple quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/couple/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“I think it takes some terrible or great event to fuse two people together without inhibition. Without heat or shock, it can't be done. I believe that's why sexual love, which needn't be, is so intensely intertwined with sin.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Mark Helprin"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-helprin/i-think-it-takes-some-terrible-or-great-event-to-fuse-two-people/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Couple"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-helprin/i-think-it-takes-some-terrible-or-great-event-to-fuse-two-people/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7c/mark-helprin-1171_couple_i-think-it-takes-some-terrible-or-great_1693946.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7c/mark-helprin-1171_couple_i-think-it-takes-some-terrible-or-great_1693946.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7c/mark-helprin-1171_couple_i-think-it-takes-some-terrible-or-great_1693946.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I think it takes some terrible or great event to fuse two people together without inhibition. Without heat…” — Mark Helprin",
                "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": "Mark Helprin",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-helprin/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“I think it takes some terrible...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-helprin/i-think-it-takes-some-terrible-or-great-event-to-fuse-two-people/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-helprin/i-think-it-takes-some-terrible-or-great-event-to-fuse-two-people/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
