Alms Quote by Paul-Jean Toulet
“A woman who loves her husband is merely paying her bills. A woman who loves her lover gives alms to the poor.”
About This Quote
Source Poem: Unrequited Love, Toulet, 1910
Loving a spouse is transactional, while loving a lover feels like charity, highlighting the emptiness of material affection.
In simple terms: Loving a husband is like paying bills; loving a lover is giving alms.
Key Takeaway
Seek deeper, authentic connections.
Themes
love
materialism
transaction
meaning
authenticity
Mood
reflective
melancholic
Type
poetic
philosophical
When to use this quote
- marriage
- affairs
- friendships
- financial dependence
Key Concepts
Transactional love
spiritual love
emptiness
Questions to Reflect On
- Do you measure love by utility?
- What gives love true worth?
A Different Perspective
Equating love with money can diminish its value.
![“[L]ove ought to manifest itself in deeds rather than in words… love consists in a mutual sharing of goods, for example, the lover gives and shares with the beloved what he possesses, or something of that which he has or is able to give; and vice versa, the beloved shares with the lover. Hence, if…” quote by St. Ignatius of Loyola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a3e/st-ignatius-of-loyola-47162_love_l-ove-ought-to-manifest-itself-in-deeds_864046.jpg)
![“Give a drink of water as alms to the birds which go forth at morning, and deem that they have a better right than men [to thy charity]. For their race brings not harm upon thee in any wise, when thou fearest it from thine own race.” quote by Al-Maʿarri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/915/al-ma-arri-47224_alms_give-a-drink-of-water-as-alms-to-the-bir_171746.jpg)