Bears Quote by Reinhold Niebuhr
“Family life is too intimate to be preserved by the spirit of justice. It can only be sustained by a spirit of love which goes beyond justice. Justice requires that we carefully weigh rights and privileges and assure that each member of a community receives his due share. Love does not weigh rights and privileges too carefully because it prompts each to bear the burden of the other.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Moral Man and Immoral Society, 1932
Justice alone cannot sustain intimate family bonds; love transcends legal fairness to bear each other's burdens.
In simple terms: Love outweighs justice in families.
Key Takeaway
Prioritize love over strict fairness.
Themes
family
love
justice
community
responsibility
Mood
reflective
empathetic
Type
philosophical
advice
When to use this quote
- marriage counseling
- parenting
- family therapy
- community building
- conflict resolution
Key Concepts
ethical reciprocity
emotional labor
interdependence
Questions to Reflect On
- How can love and justice be balanced in a family?
- What risks arise when love overrides fairness?
A Different Perspective
Love may ignore individual rights, leading to imbalance.
![“The rationale which accompanies that imposition of male authority euphemistically referred to as 'the battle of the sexes' bears a certain resemblance to the formulas of nations at war, where any heinousness is justified on the grounds that the enemy is either an inferior [part of the] species or…” quote by Kate Millett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/895/kate-millett-7301_accompany_the-rationale-which-accompanies-that-imp_8896.jpg)
