--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is love itself that is important…" description: "\"It is love itself that is important -- the ability to love, no matter whom you love. For when you can no longer love anyone, you are no longer a living..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/739/pearl-s-buck-1024_ability_it-is-love-itself-that-is-important-the_3149455.png" --- # It is love itself that is important -- the ability to… ![“It is love itself that is important -- the ability to love, no matter whom you love. For when you can no longer love anyone, you are no longer a living person. The heart dies if it loses the capacity to love.” quote by Pearl S. Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/739/pearl-s-buck-1024_ability_it-is-love-itself-that-is-important-the_3149455.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/739/pearl-s-buck-1024_ability_it-is-love-itself-that-is-important-the_3149455.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/739/pearl-s-buck-1024_ability_it-is-love-itself-that-is-important-the_3149455.png) > “It is love itself that is important -- the ability to love, no matter whom you love. For when you can no longer love anyone, you are no longer a living person. The heart dies if it loses the capacity to love.” [Pearl S. Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-s-buck/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Love is the essential life force; without the capacity to love, one's humanity fades. **In simple terms:** Love is vital for living. Key Takeaway Nurture love to stay alive. Themes love humanity vitality Mood reflective hopeful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - relationships - mental health - caregiving - personal growth Key Concepts emotional health existential meaning Questions to Reflect On - How do you keep love alive when feeling empty? - What actions sustain love in daily life? A Different Perspective Even with love, other needs like security matter. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [Ability Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability-love/) [Ability to love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability-to-love/) [Capacity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capacity/) [Capacity Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capacity-love/) [Capacity to love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capacity-to-love/) [Dies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dies/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important/) [Loses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loses/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Love Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-important/) [Matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matter/) [Person Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/person-heart/) [Persons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persons/) ## Related quotes > [In my heart, I really don't care who you love, same sex or not; as long as you have the ability to love, that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-morgan/in-my-heart-i-really-don-t-care-who-you-love-same-sex-or-not-as-long/) [Tracy Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-morgan/) > [Loving becomes, and the ability to love, becomes one of the most important things in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/loving-becomes-and-the-ability-to-love-becomes-one-of-the-most/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [It is difficult for some people to accept that love is a choice. This seems to run counter to the generally accepted theory of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-buscaglia/it-is-difficult-for-some-people-to-accept-that-love-is-a-choice-this-2/) [Leo Buscaglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-buscaglia/) > [The capacity to be alone is the capacity to love. It may look paradoxical to you, but it's not. It is an existential truth:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osho/the-capacity-to-be-alone-is-the-capacity-to-love-it-may-look-3/) [Osho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osho/) > [The greater your capacity to love, the greater your capacity to feel the pain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-greater-your-capacity-to-love-the-greater-your-capacity-to-feel/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The capacity to be alone is the capacity to love. It may look paradoxical to you, but it is not. It is an existential…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/the-capacity-to-be-alone-is-the-capacity-to-love-it-may-look-2/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [“please don't carry my love for you with you forever. but don't let that be all. our capacity to love is vast - all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-noble/please-don-t-carry-my-love-for-you-with-you-forever-but-don-t-let/) [Elizabeth Noble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-noble/) > [My children inspire me with their innocence and enormous capacity to love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-canals-barrera/my-children-inspire-me-with-their-innocence-and-enormous-capacity-to/) [Maria Canals Barrera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-canals-barrera/) > [The more people one has to love, the more one's capacity to love stretches.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/the-more-people-one-has-to-love-the-more-one-s-capacity-to-love/) [Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) > [“The capacity to be alone is the capacity to love. It may look paradoxical to you, but it's not. It is an existential truth:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osho/the-capacity-to-be-alone-is-the-capacity-to-love-it-may-look/) [Osho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osho/) > [Most people see the problem of love as that of being loved, rather than that of loving, of one's capacity to love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pacifiersucker/most-people-see-the-problem-of-love-as-that-of-being-loved-rather/) [Pacifiersucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pacifiersucker/) > [Only a deep attention to the whole of our life can bring us the capacity to love well and live freely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kornfield/only-a-deep-attention-to-the-whole-of-our-life-can-bring-us-the/) [Jack Kornfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kornfield/) > [“How can there be love without a true choice? Would you suggest that man be stripped of the capacity to love?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-dekker/how-can-there-be-love-without-a-true-choice-would-you-suggest-that/) [Ted Dekker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dekker/) > [...there was some kind of connection between the capacity to love and the capacity to love \*running\*. The engineering was certainly the same: both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-mcdougall/there-was-some-kind-of-connection-between-the-capacity-to-love-and/) [Christopher McDougall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-mcdougall/) > [We receive love — from our children as well as others — not in proportion to our demands or sacrifices or needs, but roughly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/we-receive-love-from-our-children-as-well-as-others-not-in-proportion/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) ## More by Pearl S. Buck > [For war to man, like childbirth to women, is simplifying in its emotions and activities. All the real problems of life can be put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-s-buck/for-war-to-man-like-childbirth-to-women-is-simplifying-in-its/) [Pearl S. Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-s-buck/) > [Hunger makes a thief of any man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-s-buck/hunger-makes-a-thief-of-any-man/) [Pearl S. Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-s-buck/) > [War is the most devastating endemic and epidemic disease the human race has to endure, and yet too little has been done to discover…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-s-buck/war-is-the-most-devastating-endemic-and-epidemic-disease-the-human/) [Pearl S. Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-s-buck/) > [In our changing world nothing changes more than geography.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-s-buck/in-our-changing-world-nothing-changes-more-than-geography/) [Pearl S. Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-s-buck/) > [No one really understood music unless he was a scientist, her father had declared, and not just a scientist, either, oh, no, only the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-s-buck/no-one-really-understood-music-unless-he-was-a-scientist-her-father/) [Pearl S. Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-s-buck/) > [Upon the profound discontent of the young in every country do I set my faith. I beg you, the young, to be discontented. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-s-buck/upon-the-profound-discontent-of-the-young-in-every-country-do-i-set/) [Pearl S. Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-s-buck/) > [“Wang Lung sat smoking, thinking of the silver as it had lain upon the table. It had come out of the earth, this silver,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-s-buck/wang-lung-sat-smoking-thinking-of-the-silver-as-it-had-lain-upon-the/) [Pearl S. Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-s-buck/) > [The secret of joy in work is contained in one word - excellence. To know how to do something well is to enjoy it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-s-buck/the-secret-of-joy-in-work-is-contained-in-one-word-excellence-to-know/) [Pearl S. Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-s-buck/) > [If our American way of life fails the child, it fails us all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-s-buck/if-our-american-way-of-life-fails-the-child-it-fails-us-all/) [Pearl S. Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-s-buck/) > [“Mind and body were well or ill together.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-s-buck/mind-and-body-were-well-or-ill-together/) [Pearl S. Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-s-buck/) > [“U meni postoji mjesto gdje živim posve sama; tu obnavljam svoja proljeća koja nikad ne presahnu”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-s-buck/u-meni-postoji-mjesto-gdje-ivim-posve-sama-tu-obnavljam-svoja-prolje/) [Pearl S. Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-s-buck/) > [“Brave young American men climbed the rugged slopes of Korean mountains and fought in homesickness and desperate weariness for the sake of a people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-s-buck/brave-young-american-men-climbed-the-rugged-slopes-of-korean/) [Pearl S. Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-s-buck/) > [Truth is always exciting. Speak it, then; life is dull without it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-s-buck/truth-is-always-exciting-speak-it-then-life-is-dull-without-it/) [Pearl S. Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-s-buck/) > [“All scientific effort must now be concentrated in the area of defence (sic). We have learned our lesson. We, the most civilized of people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-s-buck/all-scientific-effort-must-now-be-concentrated-in-the-area-of-defence/) [Pearl S. Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-s-buck/) > [to know how to read is to light a lamp in the mind, to release the soul from prison, to open a gate to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-s-buck/to-know-how-to-read-is-to-light-a-lamp-in-the-mind-to-release-the/) [Pearl S. Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-s-buck/) [Explore all 304 Pearl S. Buck quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-s-buck/) ## More Ability quotes > [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-direct-correlation-between-my-sexuality-and/) [Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/) > [“the importance of ability. The things that make a great job great, I discovered, are rare and valuable. If you want them in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/the-importance-of-ability-the-things-that-make-a-great-job-great-i/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/) [Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/) > [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [Maybe law enforcement would like the ability to turn on the camera on your Mac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/maybe-law-enforcement-would-like-the-ability-to-turn-on-the-camera-on/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/) [Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/) > [The youth of India has the strength to move the entire World with a click of a mouse, we have generated that ability!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/the-youth-of-india-has-the-strength-to-move-the-entire-world-with-a/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [An absolutely necessary part of a writer's equipment, almost as necessary as talent, is the ability to stand up under punishment, both the punishment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-shaw/an-absolutely-necessary-part-of-a-writer-s-equipment-almost-as/) [Irwin Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-shaw/) > [I'd be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I'd been given. I'd be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/i-d-be-more-frightened-by-not-using-whatever-abilities-i-d-been-given/) [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) > [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give: my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-prentiss/bring-into-captivity-every-thought-to-the-obedience-of-christ-take/) [Elizabeth Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-prentiss/) > [You can only do the work to the very best of your ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-baranski/you-can-only-do-the-work-to-the-very-best-of-your-ability/) [Christine Baranski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-baranski/) > [Judge a person not by his ability to make money but by his ability to retain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/judge-a-person-not-by-his-ability-to-make-money-but-by-his-ability-to/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Bobby had faith in my ability as a singer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-london/bobby-had-faith-in-my-ability-as-a-singer/) [Julie London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-london/) [Browse all 9,990 Ability quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It is love itself that is important -- the ability to love, no matter whom you love. 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