--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The commandment is that you shall love…" description: "\"The commandment is that you shall love, but when you understand life and yourself, then it is as if you should not need to be commanded, because to lov..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/575/soren-kierkegaard-578_commandment_the-commandment-is-that-you-shall-love-b_324255.jpg" --- # The commandment is that you shall love, but when you… ![“The commandment is that you shall love, but when you understand life and yourself, then it is as if you should not need to be commanded, because to love human beings is still the only thing worth living for; without this life you really do not live.” quote by Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/575/soren-kierkegaard-578_commandment_the-commandment-is-that-you-shall-love-b_324255.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/575/soren-kierkegaard-578_commandment_the-commandment-is-that-you-shall-love-b_324255.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/575/soren-kierkegaard-578_commandment_the-commandment-is-that-you-shall-love-b_324255.jpg) > “The commandment is that you shall love, but when you understand life and yourself, then it is as if you should not need to be commanded, because to love human beings is still the only thing worth living for; without this life you really do not live.” [Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True love arises from self‑understanding, not external commands; love gives life meaning. **In simple terms:** Love is self‑realized, not commanded. Key Takeaway Cultivate self‑knowledge to love authentically. Themes love existence autonomy Mood contemplative inspirational Type philosophical spiritual When to use this quote - personal growth - relationships - spiritual practice Key Concepts ethical philosophy self‑realization Questions to Reflect On - What does love mean to you beyond duty? - Can love exist without moral law? A Different Perspective Self‑love may conflict with external duties. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Commandment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commandment/) [Commandments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commandments/) [Human beings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-beings/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [This life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/this-life/) [Worth living](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worth-living/) ## Related quotes > [To be commanded to love God at all, let alone in the wilderness, is like being commanded to be well when we are sick,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/to-be-commanded-to-love-god-at-all-let-alone-in-the-wilderness-is/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [“If you understand life you need a reality check.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/if-you-understand-life-you-need-a-reality-check/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Love is the only cement that can hold this broken community together.When I am commanded to love, I am commanded to restore community, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/love-is-the-only-cement-that-can-hold-this-broken-community-together/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) > [We are not commanded (or forbidden) to love our mates, our children, our friends, our country because such affections come naturally to us and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden/we-are-not-commanded-or-forbidden-to-love-our-mates-our-children-our-2/) [W. 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Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden/) > [You are commanded to love everyone, not condemn those who don't agree with you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-are-commanded-to-love-everyone-not-condemn-those-who-don-t-agree/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We are commanded to love God with all our minds, as well as with all our hearts, and we commit a great sin if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angelina-grimke/we-are-commanded-to-love-god-with-all-our-minds-as-well-as-with-all/) [Angelina Grimke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angelina-grimke/) > [Commanded love of all men indiscriminately is an obliteration of distinction between love and hate, and therefore is not love at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-tucker/commanded-love-of-all-men-indiscriminately-is-an-obliteration-of/) [Benjamin Tucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-tucker/) > [When I am commanded to love, I am commanded to restore community, to resist injustice, and to meet the needs of my brothers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/when-i-am-commanded-to-love-i-am-commanded-to-restore-community-to/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [The Bible says that love is a responsibility. We are commanded to love. God doesn't ask us if we feel like it, He tells…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jeremiah/the-bible-says-that-love-is-a-responsibility-we-are-commanded-to-love/) [David Jeremiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jeremiah/) > [“It is this Good which we are commanded to love with our whole heart, with our whole mind, and with all our strength. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustine-of-hippo/it-is-this-good-which-we-are-commanded-to-love-with-our-whole-heart/) [Augustine of Hippo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustine-of-hippo/) > [NEIGHBOR, n. 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There are some people in your life that need to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/not-everyone-is-healthy-enough-to-have-a-front-row-seat-in-our-lives/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [It is not difficult to rebuild a life. All we need is to be aware that we have the same strength we had before,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/it-is-not-difficult-to-rebuild-a-life-all-we-need-is-to-be-aware-that/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) ## More by Soren Kierkegaard > [Christianity does not oppose debauchery and uncontrollable passions and the like as much as it opposes... flat mediocrity, this nauseating atmosphere, this homey, civil…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soren-kierkegaard/christianity-does-not-oppose-debauchery-and-uncontrollable-passions/) [Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/) > [Christians remind me of schoolboys who want to look up the answers to their math problems in the back of the book rather than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soren-kierkegaard/christians-remind-me-of-schoolboys-who-want-to-look-up-the-answers-to/) [Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/) > [People commonly travel the world over to see rivers and mountains, new stars, garish birds, freak fish, grotesque breeds of human; they fall into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soren-kierkegaard/people-commonly-travel-the-world-over-to-see-rivers-and-mountains-new/) [Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/) > [“A strange thing happened to me in my dream. 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The important thing is to make a beginning and get under way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soren-kierkegaard/a-road-well-begun-is-the-battle-half-won-the-important-thing-is-to/) [Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/) > [I have, I believe, the courage to doubt everything; I have, I believe, the courage to fight against everything; but I do not have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soren-kierkegaard/i-have-i-believe-the-courage-to-doubt-everything-i-have-i-believe-the/) [Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/) [Explore all 462 Soren Kierkegaard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/) ## More Commandment quotes > [“Eve is a figure for the soul that each human should love. 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