--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When you love something, you have to make…" description: "\"When you love something, you have to make sure it loves you back, or you'll bring about no end of trouble chasing it.\" — Patrick Rothfuss" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ee/patrick-rothfuss-145_chasing_when-you-love-something-you-have-to-make_2960887.jpg" --- # When you love something, you have to make sure it loves… ![“When you love something, you have to make sure it loves you back, or you'll bring about no end of trouble chasing it.” quote by Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ee/patrick-rothfuss-145_chasing_when-you-love-something-you-have-to-make_2960887.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ee/patrick-rothfuss-145_chasing_when-you-love-something-you-have-to-make_2960887.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ee/patrick-rothfuss-145_chasing_when-you-love-something-you-have-to-make_2960887.jpg) > “When you love something, you have to make sure it loves you back, or you'll bring about no end of trouble chasing it.” [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Love requires mutual affection; without reciprocity, pursuit becomes a source of endless frustration and conflict. **In simple terms:** Love must be returned, or it causes trouble. Key Takeaway Ensure love is mutual before deep investment. Themes relationships reciprocity trust conflict emotional health Mood cautious hopeful Type advisory reflective When to use this quote - dating - friendship - partner selection - relationship counseling Key Concepts attachment theory communication boundaries Questions to Reflect On - How do you recognize unreciprocated love? - What boundaries protect you from endless pursuit? A Different Perspective Unrequited love can still teach personal growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Chasing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chasing/) [Comes Back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comes-back/) [End Trouble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/end-trouble-882324/) [Ends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ends/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Love you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-you/) [Make Sure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-sure/) [Trouble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trouble/) [Trouble Chasing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trouble-chasing-4509105/) ## Related quotes > [Could you help me catch the moon?” “I might be able to give you some advice,” the old man said reluctantly. “But first you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/could-you-help-me-catch-the-moon-i-might-be-able-to-give-you-some/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [There's one good thing about getting in trouble: It seems like you do it in steps. It seems like you don't just end up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-paul-curtis/there-s-one-good-thing-about-getting-in-trouble-it-seems-like-you-do/) [Christopher Paul Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-paul-curtis/) > [Mankind will never see an end of trouble until lovers of wisdom come to hold political power, or the holders of power become lovers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/mankind-will-never-see-an-end-of-trouble-until-lovers-of-wisdom-come/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You are a mischievous one. You will cause no end of trouble. You have to travel many roads before you find the river of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-okri/you-are-a-mischievous-one-you-will-cause-no-end-of-trouble-you-have/) [Ben Okri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-okri/) > [Let us hope that for many it does mean the end of trouble so far as earning a livelihood is concerned, that it means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/florenz-ziegfeld/let-us-hope-that-for-many-it-does-mean-the-end-of-trouble-so-far-as/) [Florenz Ziegfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/florenz-ziegfeld/) > [“But, when you feel invisible, there is no end to the trouble you can get into.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-reyl/but-when-you-feel-invisible-there-is-no-end-to-the-trouble-you-can/) [Hilary Reyl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-reyl/) > [“Whatever they plot against the Lord he will bring to an end; trouble will not come a second time.--Nahum 1:9”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/whatever-they-plot-against-the-lord-he-will-bring-to-an-end-trouble/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Sometimes, you know, you have to cause trouble to end trouble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-gosling/sometimes-you-know-you-have-to-cause-trouble-to-end-trouble/) [Paula Gosling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-gosling/) > [I make a living from storytelling - if you're a public person and you sing songs about getting married to get a visa, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jens-lekman/i-make-a-living-from-storytelling-if-you-re-a-public-person-and-you/) [Jens Lekman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jens-lekman/) > [Yes, it's funny, isn't it? You try to do what's best for the people you love, and you just end up in trouble for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirsten-miller/yes-it-s-funny-isn-t-it-you-try-to-do-what-s-best-for-the-people-you/) [Kirsten Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirsten-miller/) > [If you've loved something LET IT GO... If it comes back to you ITS YOURS… If it doesnt come back it was NEVER meant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juskeepit-real/if-you-ve-loved-something-let-it-go-if-it-comes-back-to-you-its-yours/) [JusKeepIT\_REAL](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juskeepit-real/) > [If you love something let it go. If it comes back it was always yours to keep in the beginning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-love-something-let-it-go-if-it-comes-back-it-was-always-yours/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“If you truly love something, you should set it free, and if it doesn't come back then...they were never yours to start.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/better-me/if-you-truly-love-something-you-should-set-it-free-and-if-it-doesn-t/) [Better Me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/better-me/) > [If you love someone or something let it go, and if it comes back then it will be yours forever, if it doesn't, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-mae-sajo-gallego/if-you-love-someone-or-something-let-it-go-and-if-it-comes-back-then/) [Christine Mae Sajo Gallego](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-mae-sajo-gallego/) > [If you love anything set it free unless it is a tiger..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kshitij-roshan/if-you-love-anything-set-it-free-unless-it-is-a-tiger/) [Kshitij Roshan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kshitij-roshan/) ## More by Patrick Rothfuss > [Each woman is like an instrument, waiting to be learned, loved, and finely played, to have at last her own true music made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/each-woman-is-like-an-instrument-waiting-to-be-learned-loved-and/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“Prefiero tocar canciones que divierten a mis amigos que complacer a quienes me juzgan basándose solo en habladurías" - Kvothe”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/prefiero-tocar-canciones-que-divierten-a-mis-amigos-que-complacer-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“Wilem snorted."That doesn't sound suspicious at all," he said. "And you wonder why people talk about you." "I don't wonder why they talk," I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/wilem-snorted-that-doesn-t-sound-suspicious-at-all-he-said-and-you/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“The point isn't to win the game. The point is to play a beautiful game. (paraphrased)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/the-point-isn-t-to-win-the-game-the-point-is-to-play-a-beautiful-game/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I was nervous about writing Slow Regard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/i-was-nervous-about-writing-slow-regard/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I am no poet. I do not love words for the sake of words. I love words for what they can accomplish. Similarly, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/i-am-no-poet-i-do-not-love-words-for-the-sake-of-words-i-love-words/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“There is something deeply satisfying in shaping something with your hands. Proper artificing is like a song made solid. It is an act of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/there-is-something-deeply-satisfying-in-shaping-something-with-your/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [He had a bright, reckless tenor that was always wandering off, looking for notes in the wrong places.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/he-had-a-bright-reckless-tenor-that-was-always-wandering-off-looking/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I smiled,"Deoch, my heart is made of stronger stuff than glass. When she strikes she'll find it strong as iron-bound brass, or gold and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/i-smiled-deoch-my-heart-is-made-of-stronger-stuff-than-glass-when-she/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I have a blog where I keep in touch with my fans. I write about things that are important to me. Sometimes on there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/i-have-a-blog-where-i-keep-in-touch-with-my-fans-i-write-about-things/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [Soft fantasy worlds have a much looser cause-and-effect relationship. Alchemists can turn lead into gold and nobody wonders about how it will impact the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/soft-fantasy-worlds-have-a-much-looser-cause-and-effect-relationship/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [But how awful would that be? How terrible to live surrounded by the stark, sharp, hollowness of things that simply were enough?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/but-how-awful-would-that-be-how-terrible-to-live-surrounded-by-the/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [ Here's the thing: Authors live or die by recommendations. \[That's one of the reason I review so many books on Goodreads.\] Giving books you… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/here-s-the-thing-authors-live-or-die-by-recommendations-that-s-one-of/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I was pretty poor for a long time. Not \*poor\* poor. But college student poor. I lived for most of my adult life living…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/i-was-pretty-poor-for-a-long-time-not-poor-poor-but-college-student/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) [Explore all 895 Patrick Rothfuss quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) ## More Chasing quotes > [Don't go chasing love because it'd leave you heart-broken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-polydor/don-t-go-chasing-love-because-it-d-leave-you-heart-broken/) [Steve Polydor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-polydor/) > [Creativity is like chasing chickens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christoph-niemann/creativity-is-like-chasing-chickens/) [Christoph Niemann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christoph-niemann/) > [Stop chasing the things you want and embrace all that you already have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/stop-chasing-the-things-you-want-and-embrace-all-that-you-already-have/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The people who put you down don't have to stop you from chasing your dreams. Stand up, and prove them wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/selena-gomez/the-people-who-put-you-down-don-t-have-to-stop-you-from-chasing-your/) [Selena Gomez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/selena-gomez/) > [I say I'm chasing dreams but you know I've been running away from, running away from you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-posner/i-say-i-m-chasing-dreams-but-you-know-i-ve-been-running-away-from/) [Mike Posner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-posner/) > [If its meant to be, it will be. End of story. Im not chasing you if you're chasing after someone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-its-meant-to-be-it-will-be-end-of-story-im-not-chasing-you-if-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm chasing my goals, and I haven't been able to make things happen the way I want them to happen. It doesn't feel good,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junior-dos-santos/i-m-chasing-my-goals-and-i-haven-t-been-able-to-make-things-happen/) [Junior dos Santos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junior-dos-santos/) > [I was kind of like chasing my tail and trying to do the right thing, and was a little bit stupid. Or irresponsible, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-downey-jr/i-was-kind-of-like-chasing-my-tail-and-trying-to-do-the-right-thing/) [Robert Downey, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-downey-jr/) > [Don't loose your respect chasing people who don't care about.!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caleb/don-t-loose-your-respect-chasing-people-who-don-t-care-about/) [Caleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caleb/) > [“Two things you will never have to chase: True friends & true love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-hale/two-things-you-will-never-have-to-chase-true-friends-true-love/) [Mandy Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-hale/) > [Instead of being with a person that sincerely cares and wants to be with us, we long for some one who is chasing after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/instead-of-being-with-a-person-that-sincerely-cares-and-wants-to-be/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You are always chasing yourself, if you have testing sessions you test it out then but it's also a thing of growing a team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guenther-steiner/you-are-always-chasing-yourself-if-you-have-testing-sessions-you-test/) [Guenther Steiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guenther-steiner/) > [ People say, "Look, your book \[Tales and Wisdom from Duck Dynasty's Favorite Uncle\] is about tall tales." And I said, "No, you don't understand,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/si-robertson/people-say-look-your-book-tales-and-wisdom-from-duck-dynasty-s/) [Si Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/si-robertson/) > [I'm not going to stress over you anymore. It really isn't worth it. I've tried to work everything out, but you've ignored it. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-not-going-to-stress-over-you-anymore-it-really-isn-t-worth-it-i/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The only bad dreams are those not worth chasing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-bad-dreams-are-those-not-worth-chasing/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 1,181 Chasing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chasing/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When you love something, you have to make sure it loves you back, or you'll bring about no end of trouble chasing it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Patrick Rothfuss" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/when-you-love-something-you-have-to-make-sure-it-loves-you-back-or/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Chasing" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/when-you-love-something-you-have-to-make-sure-it-loves-you-back-or/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ee/patrick-rothfuss-145_chasing_when-you-love-something-you-have-to-make_2960887.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ee/patrick-rothfuss-145_chasing_when-you-love-something-you-have-to-make_2960887.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ee/patrick-rothfuss-145_chasing_when-you-love-something-you-have-to-make_2960887.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When you love something, you have to make sure it loves you back, or you'll bring about no end of trouble…” — Patrick Rothfuss", "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": "Patrick Rothfuss", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When you love something, you have...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/when-you-love-something-you-have-to-make-sure-it-loves-you-back-or/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/when-you-love-something-you-have-to-make-sure-it-loves-you-back-or/#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 } } ] } ```