--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ...people never gave away their hearts…" description: "\"“...people never gave away their hearts, however willing or desperate or lonely they were. Hearts always had to be taken. By force or trickery. Love wa..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c69/scott-nicholson-16566_hearts_people-never-gave-away-their-hearts-howe_1802380.png" --- # ...people never gave away their hearts, however willing or… ![“...people never gave away their hearts, however willing or desperate or lonely they were. Hearts always had to be taken. By force or trickery. Love was murder, the infliction of death by cardiac theft, and the alternative was even worse.” quote by Scott Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c69/scott-nicholson-16566_hearts_people-never-gave-away-their-hearts-howe_1802380.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c69/scott-nicholson-16566_hearts_people-never-gave-away-their-hearts-howe_1802380.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c69/scott-nicholson-16566_hearts_people-never-gave-away-their-hearts-howe_1802380.png) > ““...people never gave away their hearts, however willing or desperate or lonely they were. Hearts always had to be taken. By force or trickery. Love was murder, the infliction of death by cardiac theft, and the alternative was even worse.”” [Scott Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-nicholson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Love can be a violent, coercive force that feels like theft, and the alternative may be even more damaging. **In simple terms:** Love can be destructive. Key Takeaway Beware of manipulative love. Themes love violence betrayal control Mood cautionary intense Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - romantic relationships - abusive partnerships - personal boundaries Key Concepts psychology of attachment power dynamics Questions to Reflect On - What boundaries protect you from toxic love? - Can love be both nurturing and harmful? A Different Perspective Romantic love also offers healthy, consensual connections. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cardiac Theft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cardiac-theft-2043854/) [Hearts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hearts/) [Hearts Taken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hearts-taken-337370/) [Hearts Willing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hearts-willing-2043853/) [Lonely Hearts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lonely-hearts-1951560/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) ## Related quotes > [I did 'Lonely Hearts' with John Travolta and James Gandolfini. Talk about getting over your fears. These guys were amazing! Also, Cuba Gooding, Jr.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christa-campbell/i-did-lonely-hearts-with-john-travolta-and-james-gandolfini-talk/) [Christa Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christa-campbell/) > [“If you interrupt her one more time, I assure you that the Queen of Hearts will have a willing volunteer for beheading. Do I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julienne-russell/if-you-interrupt-her-one-more-time-i-assure-you-that-the-queen-of/) [Julienne Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julienne-russell/) > [... only those of us who carry our cause in our hearts are willing to run the risks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rigoberta-menchu/only-those-of-us-who-carry-our-cause-in-our-hearts-are-willing-to-run/) [Rigoberta Menchu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rigoberta-menchu/) > [“Success is only possible to those whose hearts are willing and ready to embrace hard work”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/topsy-gift/success-is-only-possible-to-those-whose-hearts-are-willing-and-ready/) [Topsy Gift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/topsy-gift/) > [“He knew that those things we most desire to hold in our hearts are often taken from us while that which we would put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/he-knew-that-those-things-we-most-desire-to-hold-in-our-hearts-are/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I am overwhelmed with all the love, affection, and warmth that I have been receiving for 'Dheere Dheere.' It is one of my most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yo-yo-honey-singh/i-am-overwhelmed-with-all-the-love-affection-and-warmth-that-i-have/) [Yo Yo Honey Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yo-yo-honey-singh/) > [“Even though he knew both of their hearts were taken by others, he recognized beauty when he saw it and appreciated it as any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madison-thorne-grey/even-though-he-knew-both-of-their-hearts-were-taken-by-others-he/) [Madison Thorne Grey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madison-thorne-grey/) > [I have pains in my hearts, they have taken my appetite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-johnson/i-have-pains-in-my-hearts-they-have-taken-my-appetite/) [Robert Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-johnson/) > [Im single , But my hearts taken .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zombeatz/im-single-but-my-hearts-taken/) [ZomBeatz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zombeatz/) > [“There is some sickness in man, some paranoid delusion, some grandiose morbidity that runs right through to distant ancestors. Or maybe it is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-joseph-adams/there-is-some-sickness-in-man-some-paranoid-delusion-some-grandiose/) [John Joseph Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-joseph-adams/) > [My wife sent her photograph to the lonely hearts club. They sent it back, said they weren't that lonely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-dawson/my-wife-sent-her-photograph-to-the-lonely-hearts-club-they-sent-it/) [Les Dawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-dawson/) > [There is a music for lonely hearts nearly always. If the music dies down there is a silence. Almost the same as the movement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/there-is-a-music-for-lonely-hearts-nearly-always-if-the-music-dies/) [Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) > [While looking for love I sent my pictures to the Lonely Hearts Club. The reply came back, We are not that lonely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/while-looking-for-love-i-sent-my-pictures-to-the-lonely-hearts-club/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [Society is afraid of alonedom, like lonely hearts are wasting away in basements, like people must have problems if, after a while, nobody is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tanya-davis/society-is-afraid-of-alonedom-like-lonely-hearts-are-wasting-away-in/) [Tanya Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tanya-davis/) > [“Books that nourish the lonely hearts…as they make a song in desolate times…they build a house to take you in when the world forsakes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayita-bhattacharjee/books-that-nourish-the-lonely-hearts-as-they-make-a-song-in-desolate/) [Jayita Bhattacharjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayita-bhattacharjee/) ## More by Scott Nicholson > [“And just what is the nature of things?” “It’s beyond us. Not to be understood. The sun blows a fuse here and shoots energy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-nicholson/and-just-what-is-the-nature-of-things-it-s-beyond-us-not-to-be/) [Scott Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-nicholson/) > [“Heaven looked like a lonely place. And”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-nicholson/heaven-looked-like-a-lonely-place-and/) [Scott Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-nicholson/) > [Well, who’s real? The living or the dead?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-nicholson/well-who-s-real-the-living-or-the-dead/) [Scott Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-nicholson/) > [“DeVontay touched his left eye and wiggled the glass prosthetic. “You got that right. My depth perception is for the birds.” “That wasn’t funny…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-nicholson/devontay-touched-his-left-eye-and-wiggled-the-glass-prosthetic-you/) [Scott Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-nicholson/) > [“spine as she sneaked a look down the forested slope. The Blue Ridge Mountains were sheathed in October’s mellow gold, but the leaves were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-nicholson/spine-as-she-sneaked-a-look-down-the-forested-slope-the-blue-ridge/) [Scott Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-nicholson/) > [“Some artists are normal people who just happen to make things because we can't figure out how in the hell to communicate with people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-nicholson/some-artists-are-normal-people-who-just-happen-to-make-things-because/) [Scott Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-nicholson/) > [ Engineering, I think you can pick up. \[A data scientist's\] curiosity is built-in ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-nicholson/engineering-i-think-you-can-pick-up-a-data-scientist-s-curiosity-is/) [Scott Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-nicholson/) > [“Everyone has these leaks, as the poker players call it. A leak is something that drains your income, something that has nothing to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-nicholson/everyone-has-these-leaks-as-the-poker-players-call-it-a-leak-is/) [Scott Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-nicholson/) > [“The rain fell like dead bullets.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-nicholson/the-rain-fell-like-dead-bullets/) [Scott Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-nicholson/) > [“Can a body love something so much that her heart aches with the loving?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-nicholson/can-a-body-love-something-so-much-that-her-heart-aches-with-the-loving/) [Scott Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-nicholson/) > [“He glared at Jorge. “I doubt you’re American, but we’ll throw you in as a bonus.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-nicholson/he-glared-at-jorge-i-doubt-you-re-american-but-we-ll-throw-you-in-as/) [Scott Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-nicholson/) > [“Lying, like marksmanship and tomato growing, got easier with practice. He”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-nicholson/lying-like-marksmanship-and-tomato-growing-got-easier-with-practice-he/) [Scott Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-nicholson/) > [“compassion and humanity are the first casualties of any war.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-nicholson/compassion-and-humanity-are-the-first-casualties-of-any-war/) [Scott Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-nicholson/) > [“periwinkle flowers. Here and there were gravel turnouts that led up to blank and brooding houses, but neither Rachel nor DeVontay were inclined to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-nicholson/periwinkle-flowers-here-and-there-were-gravel-turnouts-that-led-up-to/) [Scott Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-nicholson/) > [“It wouldn’t be heaven without a dog, would it?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-nicholson/it-wouldn-t-be-heaven-without-a-dog-would-it/) [Scott Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-nicholson/) [Explore all 38 Scott Nicholson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-nicholson/) ## More Hearts quotes > [While we've youth in our hearts, we can never grow old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/while-we-ve-youth-in-our-hearts-we-can-never-grow-old/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [Love is like that, fragile and light. No wonder it rests upon our hearts in intangible moments, bids us follow fleeting thoughts and ideas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-is-like-that-fragile-and-light-no-wonder-it-rests-upon-our/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Well, write me into the list of Those Who Don’t Mind a Bit,” said Cupid, eyeing his perfectly toned arms and chest. “My, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-hale/well-write-me-into-the-list-of-those-who-don-t-mind-a-bit-said-cupid/) [Shannon Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-hale/) > [Where can we go to find God if we cannot see Him in our own hearts and in every living being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/where-can-we-go-to-find-god-if-we-cannot-see-him-in-our-own-hearts/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [When the time comes for you to give your heart to someone, make sure that you select someone who will never break your heart.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-the-time-comes-for-you-to-give-your-heart-to-someone-make-sure/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's a fact of life. Hearts are always hurting. And yet they still keep pumping.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecil-castellucci/it-s-a-fact-of-life-hearts-are-always-hurting-and-yet-they-still-keep/) [Cecil Castellucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecil-castellucci/) > [The last four years have not diluted the memory or weakened the resolve of our citizens. Four years later, our hearts still hurt for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-doolittle/the-last-four-years-have-not-diluted-the-memory-or-weakened-the/) [John Doolittle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-doolittle/) > [The Good Hearts always easily get broken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/the-good-hearts-always-easily-get-broken/) [Terry Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/) > [The thing is, it has to do with heart - we have to understand what hearts are for before we can get back to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-trudell/the-thing-is-it-has-to-do-with-heart-we-have-to-understand-what/) [John Trudell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-trudell/) > [“…the child's heart bled when it was broken.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/the-child-s-heart-bled-when-it-was-broken/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [For you do not yet know the strengths of your hearts, and you cannot foresee what each may meet on the road.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/for-you-do-not-yet-know-the-strengths-of-your-hearts-and-you-cannot/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Eat and drink; they say to you but their hearts are not with you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lara-flores/eat-and-drink-they-say-to-you-but-their-hearts-are-not-with-you/) [Lara Flores](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lara-flores/) > [Different hearts beat on different strings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-peart/different-hearts-beat-on-different-strings/) [Neil Peart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-peart/) > [When you start looking at people's hearts,instead of their face,life becomes clear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-you-start-looking-at-people-s-hearts-instead-of-their-face-life/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We've all had someone break our hearts or have been fired from a job or have been cheated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-sestero/we-ve-all-had-someone-break-our-hearts-or-have-been-fired-from-a-job/) [Greg Sestero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-sestero/) [Browse all 1,237 Hearts quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hearts/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“...people never gave away their hearts, however willing or desperate or lonely they were. 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