--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is one thing worse than an…" description: "\"There is one thing worse than an absolutely loveless marriage: a marriage in which there is love, but on one side only.\" — Oscar Wilde" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/217/oscar-wilde-16_ideal-husband_there-is-one-thing-worse-than-an-absolut_1072887.jpg" --- # There is one thing worse than an absolutely loveless… ![“There is one thing worse than an absolutely loveless marriage: a marriage in which there is love, but on one side only.” quote by Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/217/oscar-wilde-16_ideal-husband_there-is-one-thing-worse-than-an-absolut_1072887.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/217/oscar-wilde-16_ideal-husband_there-is-one-thing-worse-than-an-absolut_1072887.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/217/oscar-wilde-16_ideal-husband_there-is-one-thing-worse-than-an-absolut_1072887.jpg) > “There is one thing worse than an absolutely loveless marriage: a marriage in which there is love, but on one side only.” [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A marriage lacking mutual love is worse than one where love is one‑sided, causing imbalance and pain. **In simple terms:** One‑sided love in marriage is harmful. Key Takeaway Seek mutual love and equality. Themes relationships love marriage Mood melancholic reflective Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - marriage counseling - relationship building - self‑reflection - communication Key Concepts emotional reciprocity balance unrequited love Questions to Reflect On - How can partners ensure love is mutual? - What steps restore balance when love is uneven? A Different Perspective One‑sided love can still cause deep hurt despite its presence. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Absolutely Loveless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absolutely-loveless-730702/) [Ideal husband](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideal-husband/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Loveless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loveless/) [Loveless marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loveless-marriage/) [Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage/) [Marriage love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage-love/) [One thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/one-thing/) [Sides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sides/) [Worse Absolutely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worse-absolutely-2681517/) ## Related quotes > [Loveless marriages are horrible. But there is one thing worse than an absolutely loveless marriage. A marriage in which there is love, but on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/loveless-marriages-are-horrible-but-there-is-one-thing-worse-than-an/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [ Penning an advice column for the literary website The Rumpus, \[Strayed\] worked anonymously, using the pen name Sugar, replying to letters from readings suffering… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-newman/penning-an-advice-column-for-the-literary-website-the-rumpus-strayed/) [Leigh Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-newman/) > [Stressful jobs, loveless marriages, bad food-most people kill themselves slowly every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-nersesian/stressful-jobs-loveless-marriages-bad-food-most-people-kill/) [Arthur Nersesian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-nersesian/) > [Daisy has a unique spirit. A warm and romantic nature. If she is forced into a loveless marriage, she will be devastated. She deserves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-kleypas/daisy-has-a-unique-spirit-a-warm-and-romantic-nature-if-she-is-forced/) [Lisa Kleypas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-kleypas/) > [“You make every case for marriage but love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-hauck/you-make-every-case-for-marriage-but-love/) [Rachel Hauck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-hauck/) > [One does not see anything until one sees its beauty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/one-does-not-see-anything-until-one-sees-its-beauty/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [If we men married the women we deserved, we should have a very bad time of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/if-we-men-married-the-women-we-deserved-we-should-have-a-very-bad/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [It is not the perfect, but the imperfect, who have need of love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/it-is-not-the-perfect-but-the-imperfect-who-have-need-of-love/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Oh, I love London Society! It is entirely composed now of beautiful idiots and brilliant lunatics. Just what Society should be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/oh-i-love-london-society-it-is-entirely-composed-now-of-beautiful/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [When one pays a visit it is for the purpose of wasting other people's time, not one's own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/when-one-pays-a-visit-it-is-for-the-purpose-of-wasting-other-people-s/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Nothing is so dangerous as being too modern; one is apt to grow old fashioned quite suddenly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/nothing-is-so-dangerous-as-being-too-modern-one-is-apt-to-grow-old/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [It takes great deal of courage to see the world in all its tainted glory, and still to love it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/it-takes-great-deal-of-courage-to-see-the-world-in-all-its-tainted/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [A beautiful woman risking everything for a mad passion. A few wild weeks of happiness cut short by a hideous, treacherous crime. Months of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/a-beautiful-woman-risking-everything-for-a-mad-passion-a-few-wild/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [All sins, except a sin against itself, Love should forgive. All lives, save loveless lives, true Love should pardon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/all-sins-except-a-sin-against-itself-love-should-forgive-all-lives/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [And when wind and winter harden All the loveless land, It will whisper of the garden, You will understand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/and-when-wind-and-winter-harden-all-the-loveless-land-it-will-whisper/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) ## More by Oscar Wilde > [How else but through a broken heart may Lord Christ enter in?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/how-else-but-through-a-broken-heart-may-lord-christ-enter-in/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [The books that the world calls immoral are the books that show the world its own shame.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/the-books-that-the-world-calls-immoral-are-the-books-that-show-the/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Bachelors should be heavily taxed. It is not fair that some men should be happier than others](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/bachelors-should-be-heavily-taxed-it-is-not-fair-that-some-men-should/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Who, being loved, is poor?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/who-being-loved-is-poor/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“Basil my dear boy puts everything that is charming in him into his work. The consequence is that he has nothing left for life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/basil-my-dear-boy-puts-everything-that-is-charming-in-him-into-his/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Anybody can be good in the country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/anybody-can-be-good-in-the-country/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [I don't at all like knowing what people say of me behind my back. It makes me far too conceited.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/i-don-t-at-all-like-knowing-what-people-say-of-me-behind-my-back-it/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“Alles Populäre ist falsch.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/alles-popul-re-ist-falsch/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“If these elements of beauty are real, the whole thing simply appeals to our sense of dramatic effect. Suddenly we find that we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/if-these-elements-of-beauty-are-real-the-whole-thing-simply-appeals/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [To love one's self is the beginning of a life-long romance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/to-love-one-s-self-is-the-beginning-of-a-life-long-romance/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“Those who find beautiful meanings in beautiful things are the cultivated. For these there is hope.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/those-who-find-beautiful-meanings-in-beautiful-things-are-the/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Men always want to be a womans first love. Women have a more subtle instinct: What they like is to be a mans last…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/men-always-want-to-be-a-womans-first-love-women-have-a-more-subtle/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Why is it that at a bachelor's establishment the servants invariably drink the champagne.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/why-is-it-that-at-a-bachelor-s-establishment-the-servants-invariably/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Moderation is a fatal thing. Enough is as bad as a meal. More than enough is as good as a feast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/moderation-is-a-fatal-thing-enough-is-as-bad-as-a-meal-more-than/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Beauty is the only thing that time cannot harm. Philosophies fall away like sand, creeds follow one another, but what is beautiful is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/beauty-is-the-only-thing-that-time-cannot-harm-philosophies-fall-away/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) [Explore all 3,343 Oscar Wilde quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) ## More Ideal husband quotes > [An ideal wife is any woman who has an ideal husband.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/booth-tarkington/an-ideal-wife-is-any-woman-who-has-an-ideal-husband/) [Booth Tarkington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/booth-tarkington/) > [One does not see anything until one sees its beauty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/one-does-not-see-anything-until-one-sees-its-beauty/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“The point is, Dean was not and is not nor will he ever be the ideal husband... he gives the minimum amount.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deana-martin/the-point-is-dean-was-not-and-is-not-nor-will-he-ever-be-the-ideal/) [Deana Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deana-martin/) > [I think a writer is not an ideal husband... Writers tend to get off into their own heads and not notice the people that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-blount-jr/i-think-a-writer-is-not-an-ideal-husband-writers-tend-to-get-off-into/) [Roy Blount, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-blount-jr/) > [It takes great deal of courage to see the world in all its tainted glory, and still to love it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/it-takes-great-deal-of-courage-to-see-the-world-in-all-its-tainted/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Nothing is so dangerous as being too modern; one is apt to grow old fashioned quite suddenly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/nothing-is-so-dangerous-as-being-too-modern-one-is-apt-to-grow-old/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [My worst mistake has been not grasping that time goes by. It was going by and there I was, set in the attitude of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-de-beauvoir/my-worst-mistake-has-been-not-grasping-that-time-goes-by-it-was-going/) [Simone de Beauvoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-de-beauvoir/) > [The ideal husband understands every word his wife doesnt say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-hitchcock/the-ideal-husband-understands-every-word-his-wife-doesnt-say/) [Alfred Hitchcock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-hitchcock/) > [Loveless marriages are horrible. But there is one thing worse than an absolutely loveless marriage. A marriage in which there is love, but on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/loveless-marriages-are-horrible-but-there-is-one-thing-worse-than-an/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [A good husband makes a good wife at any time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-farquhar/a-good-husband-makes-a-good-wife-at-any-time/) [George Farquhar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-farquhar/) > [ There have been two \[career highlights\]. Waking up in New York to hear I'd been nominated for Best Actor for a Tony Award on… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-shaw/there-have-been-two-career-highlights-waking-up-in-new-york-to-hear-i/) [Martin Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-shaw/) > [It was like everything that supported the relationship was coming from the outside. Judging by all the signs, we were a perfectly successful couple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-gaitskill/it-was-like-everything-that-supported-the-relationship-was-coming/) [Mary Gaitskill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-gaitskill/) > [When one pays a visit it is for the purpose of wasting other people's time, not one's own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/when-one-pays-a-visit-it-is-for-the-purpose-of-wasting-other-people-s/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Oh, I love London Society! It is entirely composed now of beautiful idiots and brilliant lunatics. Just what Society should be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/oh-i-love-london-society-it-is-entirely-composed-now-of-beautiful/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Rama, the ancient idol of the heroic ages, the embodiment of truth, of morality, the ideal son, the ideal husband, and above all, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/rama-the-ancient-idol-of-the-heroic-ages-the-embodiment-of-truth-of/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) [Browse all 22 Ideal husband quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideal-husband/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There is one thing worse than an absolutely loveless marriage: a marriage in which there is love, but on one side only.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Oscar Wilde" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/there-is-one-thing-worse-than-an-absolutely-loveless-marriage-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ideal husband" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/there-is-one-thing-worse-than-an-absolutely-loveless-marriage-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/217/oscar-wilde-16_ideal-husband_there-is-one-thing-worse-than-an-absolut_1072887.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/217/oscar-wilde-16_ideal-husband_there-is-one-thing-worse-than-an-absolut_1072887.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/217/oscar-wilde-16_ideal-husband_there-is-one-thing-worse-than-an-absolut_1072887.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There is one thing worse than an absolutely loveless marriage: a marriage in which there is love, but on one…” — Oscar Wilde", "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": "Oscar Wilde", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "There is one thing worse than...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/there-is-one-thing-worse-than-an-absolutely-loveless-marriage-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/there-is-one-thing-worse-than-an-absolutely-loveless-marriage-a/#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 } } ] } ```