--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have to admit, an unrequited love is so…" description: "\"I have to admit, an unrequited love is so much better than a real one. I mean, its perfect As long as something is never even started, you never have t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8e/sarah-dessen-110_endless_i-have-to-admit-an-unrequited-love-is-so_361539.png" --- # I have to admit, an unrequited love is so much better than… ![“I have to admit, an unrequited love is so much better than a real one. I mean, its perfect As long as something is never even started, you never have to worry about it ending. It has endless potential.” quote by Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8e/sarah-dessen-110_endless_i-have-to-admit-an-unrequited-love-is-so_361539.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8e/sarah-dessen-110_endless_i-have-to-admit-an-unrequited-love-is-so_361539.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8e/sarah-dessen-110_endless_i-have-to-admit-an-unrequited-love-is-so_361539.png) > “I have to admit, an unrequited love is so much better than a real one. I mean, its perfect As long as something is never even started, you never have to worry about it ending. It has endless potential.” [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Unrequited love feels safer because it never ends, offering endless imagined possibilities. **In simple terms:** Imagined love feels safer than real love. Key Takeaway Recognize the allure of fantasy. Themes love fantasy emotional safety Mood melancholic thoughtful Type philosophical reflective When to use this quote - daydreaming - creative writing - relationship counseling - personal reflection Key Concepts idealization avoidance of commitment Questions to Reflect On - Why prefer imagined love? - How can one face real relationship risks? A Different Perspective Avoiding real relationships can hinder growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Unrequited](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unrequited/) [Unrequited love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unrequited-love/) [Worry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worry/) ## Related quotes > [Unrequited love is bad, but unrequitable love can really get you down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-savage/unrequited-love-is-bad-but-unrequitable-love-can-really-get-you-down/) [Sam Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-savage/) > [“I HOLD If I could have had him, I could have let him go. But without the having there was nothing— so to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coco-j-ginger/i-hold-if-i-could-have-had-him-i-could-have-let-him-go-but-without/) Coco J. Ginger > [“The only place I ever felt at home was with you. There isn’t a place for me anywhere anymore… I’ve been evicted.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ranata-suzuki/the-only-place-i-ever-felt-at-home-was-with-you-there-isn-t-a-place/) [Ranata Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ranata-suzuki/) > [Although love unreturned can drive you to despair, trust that somewhere out there, someone is waiting just for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-ramirez/although-love-unreturned-can-drive-you-to-despair-trust-that/) [Laura Ramirez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-ramirez/) > [Because what’s worse than knowing you want something, besides knowing you can never have it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/because-what-s-worse-than-knowing-you-want-something-besides-knowing/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [“I miss that feeling of connection. Knowing he was out there somewhere thinking about me at the same time I was thinking about him.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ranata-suzuki/i-miss-that-feeling-of-connection-knowing-he-was-out-there-somewhere/) [Ranata Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ranata-suzuki/) > [“Though it’s reasons to burn may vary... you are always the fuel of my fire.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ranata-suzuki/though-it-s-reasons-to-burn-may-vary-you-are-always-the-fuel-of-my/) [Ranata Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ranata-suzuki/) > [To burn with desire and keep quiet about it is the greatest punishment we can bring on ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/federico-garc-a-lorca/to-burn-with-desire-and-keep-quiet-about-it-is-the-greatest/) [Federico Garcia Lorca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/federico-garc-a-lorca/) > [This unrequited love, to me it's nothing but a one-man cult/And cyanide in my styrofoam cup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-ocean/this-unrequited-love-to-me-it-s-nothing-but-a-one-man-cult-and/) [Frank Ocean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-ocean/) > [Powerful women always interpret hostility as unrequited love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-brown/powerful-women-always-interpret-hostility-as-unrequited-love/) [Tina Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-brown/) > [“Unrequited love is the only emotion that allows sane people to taste the “life sentence” of someone with bipolar disorder. The longer they hang…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/unrequited-love-is-the-only-emotion-that-allows-sane-people-to-taste/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [How timid and frail is unrequited love? A place you entered of your own accord, but youre trapped inside, unable to find an exit.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/korean-drama/how-timid-and-frail-is-unrequited-love-a-place-you-entered-of-your/) Korean Drama > [“Next worst thing to unrequited Love, isn't it? Insufficient hate.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pynchon/next-worst-thing-to-unrequited-love-isn-t-it-insufficient-hate/) [Thomas Pynchon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pynchon/) > [Only three things are infinite. The sky in its stars, the sea in its drops of water, and the heart in its tears.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustave-flaubert/only-three-things-are-infinite-the-sky-in-its-stars-the-sea-in-its/) [Gustave Flaubert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustave-flaubert/) > [“Unrequited love is the sharpest, most bitter love of all. But it is still love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-mcfadden/unrequited-love-is-the-sharpest-most-bitter-love-of-all-but-it-is/) Tony McFadden ## More by Sarah Dessen > [Sometimes a question can hurt more than an answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/sometimes-a-question-can-hurt-more-than-an-answer/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [“if i were a book i would be so open”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/if-i-were-a-book-i-would-be-so-open/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [Harder to get in than out, like so little else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/harder-to-get-in-than-out-like-so-little-else/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [“At times, I found myself questioning his very existence, even though I knew I had, in fact, spotted him, with my own eyes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/at-times-i-found-myself-questioning-his-very-existence-even-though-i/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [You don't have to say it out loud. I already know why you like me.' 'You do, huh?' 'Yep.' He wrapped his arms around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/you-don-t-have-to-say-it-out-loud-i-already-know-why-you-like-me-you/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [No relationship is perfect, ever. There are always some ways you have to bend, to compromise, to give something up in order to gain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/no-relationship-is-perfect-ever-there-are-always-some-ways-you-have/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [When you had to do something, you had to do it. And eventually, if you were lucky, you did it well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/when-you-had-to-do-something-you-had-to-do-it-and-eventually-if-you/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [the truth about forever is that it is happening right now](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/the-truth-about-forever-is-that-it-is-happening-right-now/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [I jammed my hand in my jacket pocket, bracing myself fo the next hit, and fel something. Something grainy and samll, sticking to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/i-jammed-my-hand-in-my-jacket-pocket-bracing-myself-fo-the-next-hit/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [I had no illusions about love anymore. It came, it went, it left casualties or it didn't. People weren't meant to be together forever,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/i-had-no-illusions-about-love-anymore-it-came-it-went-it-left/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [“But maybe that isn't so bad. You can't love anyone that way more than once in a lifetime. It's too hard and it hurts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/but-maybe-that-isn-t-so-bad-you-can-t-love-anyone-that-way-more-than/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [This was just one night, one chance to vary and see where it took me. The fireflies were probably already out: maybe it wasn’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/this-was-just-one-night-one-chance-to-vary-and-see-where-it-took-me/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [call it chicken salad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/call-it-chicken-salad/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [“For me, however, it was a mix of the two, this constant push and pull. I loved it here. But I'd been in that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/for-me-however-it-was-a-mix-of-the-two-this-constant-push-and-pull-i/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [I think whenever a writer is really enjoying themselves and liking what they are doing, that shows on the page.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/i-think-whenever-a-writer-is-really-enjoying-themselves-and-liking/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) [Explore all 1,251 Sarah Dessen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) ## More Endless quotes > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [We need to discover all over again that worship is natural to the Christian, as it was to the godly Israelites who wrote the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer/we-need-to-discover-all-over-again-that-worship-is-natural-to-the/) [J. I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer/) > [The thing about living alone is that it gives you a lot of time to think. You don't necessarily reach any conclusions, because wisdom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tropper/the-thing-about-living-alone-is-that-it-gives-you-a-lot-of-time-to/) [Jonathan Tropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-tropper/) > [Forgetting your Self is the greatest injury; all the calamities flow from it. Take care of the most important, the lesser will take care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/forgetting-your-self-is-the-greatest-injury-all-the-calamities-flow/) [Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/) > [I'm not a fan of endless mystery in storytelling - I like to know where the mythology's going; I like to get there in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-kripke/i-m-not-a-fan-of-endless-mystery-in-storytelling-i-like-to-know-where/) [Eric Kripke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-kripke/) > [A “collective” mind does not exist. It is merely the sum of endless numbers of individual minds. If we have an endless number of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/a-collective-mind-does-not-exist-it-is-merely-the-sum-of-endless/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [By heaven we understand a state of happiness infinite in degree, and endless in duration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/by-heaven-we-understand-a-state-of-happiness-infinite-in-degree-and/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [The ultimate goal of radical politics is gradually to displace the limit of social exclusions, empowering the excluded agents (sexual and ethnic minorities) by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/slavoj-i-ek/the-ultimate-goal-of-radical-politics-is-gradually-to-displace-the/) [Slavoj Žižek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/slavoj-i-ek/) > [This is the sacrifice: the endless possibility that is offered up on the altar of the form...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-buber/this-is-the-sacrifice-the-endless-possibility-that-is-offered-up-on/) [Martin Buber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-buber/) > [Like the sea itself, the unconscious yields an endless and self-replenishing abundance of creatures, a wealth beyond our fathoming.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/like-the-sea-itself-the-unconscious-yields-an-endless-and-self/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) > [I'm saying that the domain of poetry includes both oral & written forms, that poetry goes back to a pre-literate situation & would survive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-rothenberg/i-m-saying-that-the-domain-of-poetry-includes-both-oral-written-forms/) Jerome Rothenberg > [Language gradually varies, and with it fade away the writings of authors who have flourished their allotted time; otherwise, the creative powers of genius…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/washington-irving/language-gradually-varies-and-with-it-fade-away-the-writings-of/) [Washington Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/washington-irving/) > [The debt immense of endless gratitude, So burthensome, still paying, still to owe; Forgetful what from him I still receivd, And understood not that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/the-debt-immense-of-endless-gratitude-so-burthensome-still-paying/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [When you finish a poem, it clicks shut like the top of a jewel box, but prose is endless. I haven't experienced an awful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-koch/when-you-finish-a-poem-it-clicks-shut-like-the-top-of-a-jewel-box-but/) [Kenneth Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-koch/) > [We are all pilgrims on an elusive and endless road... Despite our attempts to build lives on stone foundations, our spirits continuously flow. Endless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-lawlor/we-are-all-pilgrims-on-an-elusive-and-endless-road-despite-our/) [Anthony Lawlor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-lawlor/) Browse all 1,867 Endless quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I have to admit, an unrequited love is so much better than a real one. I mean, its perfect As long as something is never even started, you never have to worry about it ending. It has endless potential.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sarah Dessen" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/i-have-to-admit-an-unrequited-love-is-so-much-better-than-a-real-one/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Endless" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/i-have-to-admit-an-unrequited-love-is-so-much-better-than-a-real-one/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8e/sarah-dessen-110_endless_i-have-to-admit-an-unrequited-love-is-so_361539.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8e/sarah-dessen-110_endless_i-have-to-admit-an-unrequited-love-is-so_361539.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8e/sarah-dessen-110_endless_i-have-to-admit-an-unrequited-love-is-so_361539.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I have to admit, an unrequited love is so much better than a real one. I mean, its perfect As long as…” — Sarah Dessen", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Sarah Dessen", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I have to admit, an unrequited...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/i-have-to-admit-an-unrequited-love-is-so-much-better-than-a-real-one/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/i-have-to-admit-an-unrequited-love-is-so-much-better-than-a-real-one/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```