--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Agape means love for another self not…" description: "\"Agape means love for another self not because of any lovable qualities which he or she may possess, but purely and entirely because it is a self capabl..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c45/obert-c-tanner-82991_agape_agape-means-love-for-another-self-not-be_1594248.jpg" --- # Agape means love for another self not because of any… ![“Agape means love for another self not because of any lovable qualities which he or she may possess, but purely and entirely because it is a self capable of experiencing happiness and misery and endowed with the power to choose between good and evil. The love of humans is thus more than a feeling…” quote by Obert C. Tanner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c45/obert-c-tanner-82991_agape_agape-means-love-for-another-self-not-be_1594248.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c45/obert-c-tanner-82991_agape_agape-means-love-for-another-self-not-be_1594248.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c45/obert-c-tanner-82991_agape_agape-means-love-for-another-self-not-be_1594248.jpg) > “Agape means love for another self not because of any lovable qualities which he or she may possess, but purely and entirely because it is a self capable of experiencing happiness and misery and endowed with the power to choose between good and evil. The love of humans is thus more than a feeling, it is a state of the will.” [Obert C. Tanner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/obert-c-tanner/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True love is a willful choice, not based on qualities, but on shared capacity for joy and suffering. **In simple terms:** Love is a conscious, selfless decision. Key Takeaway Choose love deliberately. Themes love will choice humanity morality Mood reflective philosophical Type ethical inspirational When to use this quote - marriage - friendship - family life Key Concepts self‑sacrifice ethical will shared experience Questions to Reflect On - How do you practice love as a will? - What choices define your love today? A Different Perspective Love can be demanding and requires effort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Agape](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agape/) [Agape Means](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agape-means-1095658/) [Capable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capable/) [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/) [Good and evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-and-evil/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Lovable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lovable/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Love Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-humans-545268/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean/) [Mean love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean-love/) [Means Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/means-love/) [Misery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/misery/) [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/) [Quality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quality/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [States](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/states/) ## Related quotes > [Agape means recognition of the fact that all life is interrelated. All humanity is involved in a single process, and all men are brothers.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/agape-means-recognition-of-the-fact-that-all-life-is-interrelated-all/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [“In the final analysis, agape means a recognition of the fact that all life is interrelated. All humanity is involved in a single process,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/in-the-final-analysis-agape-means-a-recognition-of-the-fact-that-all/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) > [“In the English language, we have one word for love, which translates into our sexual drive. The ancient Greeks had more than one word…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celso-cukierkorn/in-the-english-language-we-have-one-word-for-love-which-translates/) [Celso Cukierkorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celso-cukierkorn/) > [The overall message is 'one love,' which means love begins with oneself. If you can't love yourself, you can't love anyone around you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simphiwe-dana/the-overall-message-is-one-love-which-means-love-begins-with-oneself/) [Simphiwe Dana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simphiwe-dana/) > [Having a love ethic, as opposed to simply being in love, or having a lover, means love is the way you actively choose to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-tupitsyn/having-a-love-ethic-as-opposed-to-simply-being-in-love-or-having-a/) [Masha Tupitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-tupitsyn/) > [I love him. (Artemis) How can you say that? You don’t even understand what love means. Love isn’t being ashamed to be seen with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/i-love-him-artemis-how-can-you-say-that-you-don-t-even-understand/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [In our country we call this type of mother love teng ai. My son has told me that in men's writing it is composed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-see/in-our-country-we-call-this-type-of-mother-love-teng-ai-my-son-has/) [Lisa See](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-see/) > [The question of surrender is political, it is not a question of love. And relationship is not love at all; it means love has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/the-question-of-surrender-is-political-it-is-not-a-question-of-love/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [“Just because you choose to fill yourself up and address your own needs doesn’t mean you love your children any less. It actually means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-ambrosini/just-because-you-choose-to-fill-yourself-up-and-address-your-own/) [Melissa Ambrosini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-ambrosini/) > [What it means to be human is to bring up your children in safety, educate them, keep them healthy, teach them how to care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/what-it-means-to-be-human-is-to-bring-up-your-children-in-safety/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [My wife will tell you it's the little things, like driving my boys to school on my days off so she can rest. We're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-dae-kim/my-wife-will-tell-you-it-s-the-little-things-like-driving-my-boys-to/) [Daniel Dae Kim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-dae-kim/) > [I love saying "Booyakasha!" I keep finding new ways to say it. I love saying "Booyakasha." It means love will prevail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-cipes/i-love-saying-booyakasha-i-keep-finding-new-ways-to-say-it-i-love/) [Greg Cipes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-cipes/) > [Music means harmony, harmony means love. Love means God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-lanier/music-means-harmony-harmony-means-love-love-means-god/) [Sidney Lanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-lanier/) > [In the electoral campaign, President Bush named as the most important person in his life Jesus . Now he has a unique chance to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/slavoj-i-ek/in-the-electoral-campaign-president-bush-named-as-the-most-important/) [Slavoj Žižek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/slavoj-i-ek/) > [For me, spiritual means love in action. So if you are working for love, then you are a spiritual person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patch-adams/for-me-spiritual-means-love-in-action-so-if-you-are-working-for-love/) [Patch Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patch-adams/) ## More by Obert C. Tanner > [Perhaps the highest goodness attainable is a life of service to all mankind. Such an ideal is supported in nearly every page in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/obert-c-tanner/perhaps-the-highest-goodness-attainable-is-a-life-of-service-to-all/) [Obert C. Tanner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/obert-c-tanner/) > [Perhaps the clearest and deepest meaning of brotherhood is the ability to imagine yourself in the other person's position, and then treat that person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/obert-c-tanner/perhaps-the-clearest-and-deepest-meaning-of-brotherhood-is-the/) [Obert C. Tanner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/obert-c-tanner/) [Explore all 3 Obert C. Tanner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/obert-c-tanner/) ## More Agape quotes > [There's a term, agape, you hear used a lot with charismatic religious groups, that it's this more pure love of caring, of sharing of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-jackson/there-s-a-term-agape-you-hear-used-a-lot-with-charismatic-religious/) [Phil Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-jackson/) > [Agape means recognition of the fact that all life is interrelated. All humanity is involved in a single process, and all men are brothers.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/agape-means-recognition-of-the-fact-that-all-life-is-interrelated-all/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [There must be a stronger foundation than mere friendship or sexual attraction. Unconditional love, agape love, will not be swayed by time or circumstances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kendrick/there-must-be-a-stronger-foundation-than-mere-friendship-or-sexual/) [Stephen Kendrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kendrick/) > [“Agape love is strengthened by the person who expresses it - not by the person who receives it. In fact, the person who receives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-apollo/agape-love-is-strengthened-by-the-person-who-expresses-it-not-by-the/) [Brian Apollo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-apollo/) > [“Every action is a losing, a letting go, a passing away from oneself of some bit of one’s own reality into the existence of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-c-mcgill/every-action-is-a-losing-a-letting-go-a-passing-away-from-oneself-of/) [Arthur C. McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-c-mcgill/) > [“No doubt, God has placed you in the position to love the unlovely, whether or not you've been obedient to that command. In fact,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-moore/no-doubt-god-has-placed-you-in-the-position-to-love-the-unlovely/) [Beth Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-moore/) > [What I am trying to say is that it is not without any value. The value of copies is that they can direct us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbas-kiarostami/what-i-am-trying-to-say-is-that-it-is-not-without-any-value-the-value/) [Abbas Kiarostami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbas-kiarostami/) > [My teenage children watched Senator Clinton on the Today Show, mouths agape. They attended our local caucus with me and saw hundreds of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shoshana-zuboff/my-teenage-children-watched-senator-clinton-on-the-today-show-mouths/) [Shoshana Zuboff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shoshana-zuboff/) > [“ Agape is disinterested love. It is a love in which the individual seeks not his own good, but the good of his neighbor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/agape-is-disinterested-love-it-is-a-love-in-which-the-individual/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) > [“To agape,” we all echoed, raising our wineglasses and drinking to higher love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-konigsberg/to-agape-we-all-echoed-raising-our-wineglasses-and-drinking-to-higher/) [Bill Konigsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-konigsberg/) > [Agape is disinterested love. . . . Agape does not begin by discriminating between worthy and unworthy people, or any qualities people possess. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/agape-is-disinterested-love-agape-does-not-begin-by-discriminating/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [“HE remembered looking "agape" in his encyclopedia volume after he read Dr. King's speech in the DEFENDER. The newspaper ran the address in full…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/he-remembered-looking-agape-in-his-encyclopedia-volume-after-he-read/) [Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/) > [We must never stop dreaming. Dreams provide nourishment for the soul, just as a meal does for the body. Many times in our lives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/we-must-never-stop-dreaming-dreams-provide-nourishment-for-the-soul/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“Experience and Demonstrate the Agape Love, is far more than Gold - Go for it”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-asumadu-sarkodie/experience-and-demonstrate-the-agape-love-is-far-more-than-gold-go/) [Samuel Asumadu-Sarkodie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-asumadu-sarkodie/) > [“Sissy had two great failings. She was a great lover and a great mother. She had so much of tenderness in her, so much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-smith/sissy-had-two-great-failings-she-was-a-great-lover-and-a-great-mother/) [Betty Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-smith/) [Browse all 71 Agape quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agape/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Agape means love for another self not because of any lovable qualities which he or she may possess, but purely and entirely because it is a self capable of experiencing happiness and misery and endowed with the power to choose between good and evil. The love of humans is thus more than a feeling, it is a state of the will.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Obert C. 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