Abandon Quote by Rainer Maria Rilke
“All companionship can consist in only the strengthening of neighboring solitudes, giving oneself is by nature harmful to companionship: for when a person abandons himself, he is no longer anything, and when two people both give themselves up in order to become closer to each other, there is no longer any ground beneath them and their being together is a continual falling – I have learned over and over again, there is scarcely anything more difficult than to love one another.”
About This Quote
Source Letter: 1910 correspondence, Rilke to a friend
Love involves risk; giving oneself can erode personal boundaries, making true intimacy difficult.
In simple terms: Loving deeply can cause loss of self.
Key Takeaway
Cultivate love while maintaining personal identity.
Themes
love
self‑sacrifice
interdependence
Mood
introspective
melancholic
thoughtful
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- marriage counseling
- friendship building
- therapy sessions
- personal reflection
Key Concepts
existentialism
psychology
philosophy of relationships
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you love without losing yourself?
- What boundaries protect individuality in relationships?
A Different Perspective
Total self‑loss can lead to codependency and emotional instability.
