--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What madness, to love a man as something…" description: "\"“What madness, to love a man as something more than human! I lived in a fever, convulsed with tears and sighs that allowed me neither rest nor peace of..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ad/st-augustine-29401_love_what-madness-to-love-a-man-as-something_528231.jpg" --- # What madness, to love a man as something more than human!… ![“What madness, to love a man as something more than human! I lived in a fever, convulsed with tears and sighs that allowed me neither rest nor peace of mind. My soul was a burden, bruised and bleeding. It was tired of the man who carried it, but I found no place to set it down to rest. Neither the…” quote by St. Augustine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ad/st-augustine-29401_love_what-madness-to-love-a-man-as-something_528231.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ad/st-augustine-29401_love_what-madness-to-love-a-man-as-something_528231.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ad/st-augustine-29401_love_what-madness-to-love-a-man-as-something_528231.jpg) > ““What madness, to love a man as something more than human! I lived in a fever, convulsed with tears and sighs that allowed me neither rest nor peace of mind. My soul was a burden, bruised and bleeding. It was tired of the man who carried it, but I found no place to set it down to rest. Neither the charm of the countryside nor the sweet scents of a garden could soothe it. It found no peace in song or laughter, none in the company of friends at table or in the pleasures of love, none even in books or poetry. Everything that was not what my friend had been was dull and distasteful. I had heart only for sighs and tears, for in them alone I found some shred of consolation.”” [St. Augustine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-augustine/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker describes love as an overwhelming, irrational force that consumes the soul, leaving no comfort in any external pleasure or art. **In simple terms:** Love can dominate and exhaust the heart, making all else feel empty. Key Takeaway Recognize when love becomes self‑destructive and seek balance. Themes love despair spiritual turmoil human frailty obsession Mood melancholic introspective poignant Type literary philosophical emotional When to use this quote - relationship crisis - grief - creative block - spiritual seeking - mental health Key Concepts existential angst romantic idealism psychological suffering Questions to Reflect On - What does love mean when it feels like a burden? - How can one find peace when love feels overwhelming? A Different Perspective Love can blind and imprison, preventing healing and growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Peace of mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace-of-mind/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Spirituality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirituality/) ## Related quotes > [Worse than idle is compassion if it ends in tears and sighs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wordsworth/worse-than-idle-is-compassion-if-it-ends-in-tears-and-sighs/) [William Wordsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wordsworth/) > [We wear the mask that grins and lies, It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes,- - This debt we pay to human guile;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-laurence-dunbar/we-wear-the-mask-that-grins-and-lies-it-hides-our-cheeks-and-shades-2/) [Paul Laurence Dunbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-laurence-dunbar/) > [He had only to touch me to turn my tears into sighs and my anger to desire. 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Neither the charm of the countryside nor the sweet scents of a garden could soothe it. It found no peace in song or laughter, none in the company of friends at table or in the pleasures of love, none even in books or poetry. Everything that was not what my friend had been was dull and distasteful. 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