Affection Quote by Robert Wright
![“[L]asting love is something a person has to decide to experience. Lifelong monogamous devotion is just not natural—not for women even, and emphatically not for men. It requires what, for lack of a better term, we can call an act of will. . . . This isn't to say that a young man can't hope to be…” quote by Robert Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c0c/robert-wright-8640_affection_l-asting-love-is-something-a-person-has_2157037.jpg)
““[L]asting love is something a person has to decide to experience. Lifelong monogamous devotion is just not natural—not for women even, and emphatically not for men. It requires what, for lack of a better term, we can call an act of will. . . . This isn't to say that a young man can't hope to be seized by love. . . . But whether the sheer fury of a man's feelings accurately gauges their likely endurance is another question. The ardor will surely fade, sooner or later, and the marriage will then live or die on respect, practical compatibility, simple affection, and (these days, especially) determination. With the help of these things, something worthy of the label 'love' can last until death. But it will be a different kind of love from the kind that began the marriage. Will it be a richer love, a deeper love, a more spiritual love? Opinions vary. But it's certainly a more impressive love.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Moral Animal, Robert Wright, 1994
Argues that lasting love requires deliberate commitment beyond natural impulses, evolving into respect and compatibility
In simple terms: Love needs willful effort and practical foundations to endure
Key Takeaway
Cultivate intentional, respectful relationships for lasting love
Themes
relationships
love
commitment
human nature
psychology
Mood
thoughtful
reflective
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- Counseling
- relationship education
- personal reflection
- marriage workshops
- self‑growth
Key Concepts
Evolutionary psychology
marital dynamics
emotional intelligence
Questions to Reflect On
- How can couples balance passion with practical compatibility?
- What practices foster enduring respect and affection?
A Different Perspective
May underplay the role of chemistry and emotional connection
![“[Love Wasn’t as They Said] Love wasn’t as they said… It didn’t last forever as they claimed… It is fleeting moments only recognized By those with sight and insight… And perhaps only captured By those patiently waiting as if to see a lightning in the sky… And, like lightning perhaps, we never know…” quote by Louis Yako](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/239/louis-yako-20010_arabic-literature_love-wasn-t-as-they-said-love-wasn-t-as_85936.jpg)
![“We have been led to believe that if we are really in love, it will last forever. We will always have the wonderful feelings that we have at this moment. Nothing could ever come between us. Nothing will ever overcome our love for each other. [..] Unfortunately, the eternality of the in-love…” quote by Gary Chapman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/877/gary-chapman-1325_age-life_we-have-been-led-to-believe-that-if-we-a_1071018.jpg)
![“[On married love] This love is above all fully human, a compound of sense and spirit. It is not, then, merely a question of natural instinct or emotional drive. It is also, and above all, an act of the free will, whose trust is such that it is meant not only to survive the joys and sorrows of…” quote by Pope Paul VI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/aa4/pope-paul-vi-7633_catholicism_on-married-love-this-love-is-above-all-f_3092722.jpg)
