Believe Quote by Philip Pullman
“Looking at them now, thought Jim, you'd never believe they weren't in love with each other, and not with a hopeless, doomed obsession like poor Isabel Meredith. This was what love ought to be like: playful and passionate and teasing, and dangerous, too, with sharp intelligence in it.”
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Secret Commonwealth, 2012
The narrator describes an ideal love that is playful, passionate, teasing, dangerous, and intellectually sharp, contrasting it with obsessive love.
In simple terms: Ideal love is lively, passionate, intelligent, and risky
Key Takeaway
Pursue love that stimulates mind and heart.
Themes
love
relationships
intimacy
danger
Mood
thoughtful
romantic
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- dating
- long‑term partnership
- creative collaboration
Key Concepts
Romantic idealism
psychology of attraction
dangerous love
Questions to Reflect On
- What balance between excitement and safety is healthy?
- How can intelligence enhance intimacy?
A Different Perspective
Such love can be unstable and may cause emotional turbulence.
