--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Perhaps to know her would be to cure…" description: "\"“Perhaps to know her would be to cure himself of this unexpected and unauthorized passion.”\" — Thomas Hardy" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/936/thomas-hardy-410_passion_perhaps-to-know-her-would-be-to-cure-him_1196744.jpg" --- # Perhaps to know her would be to cure himself of this… ![“Perhaps to know her would be to cure himself of this unexpected and unauthorized passion.” quote by Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/936/thomas-hardy-410_passion_perhaps-to-know-her-would-be-to-cure-him_1196744.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/936/thomas-hardy-410_passion_perhaps-to-know-her-would-be-to-cure-him_1196744.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/936/thomas-hardy-410_passion_perhaps-to-know-her-would-be-to-cure-him_1196744.jpg) > ““Perhaps to know her would be to cure himself of this unexpected and unauthorized passion.”” [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The narrator realizes that understanding the woman he loves may resolve his obsessive, unapproved desire. **In simple terms:** Knowing her could end his forbidden passion. Key Takeaway Seek understanding to heal desire. Themes love obsession self‑knowledge Mood conflicted reflective Type literary romantic When to use this quote - romantic pursuit - personal crisis - emotional healing Key Concepts psychology unrequited love self‑reflection Questions to Reflect On - What does knowing someone truly mean? - Can insight replace longing? A Different Perspective Understanding may not change the situation or feelings. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cure Unexpected](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cure-unexpected-3572314/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Know Cure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-cure-2125318/) [Passion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passion/) [Unauthorized Passion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unauthorized-passion-3572313/) [Unexpected](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unexpected/) ## Related quotes > [“Words speak, "A Cure For Wellness" "Volmer: Do you know what the cure for the human condition is? Disease. Because that's the only way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deyth-banger/words-speak-a-cure-for-wellness-volmer-do-you-know-what-the-cure-for/) [Deyth Banger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deyth-banger/) > [“I know of a cure for everything: salt water...in one way or the other. Sweat, or tears, or the salt sea.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-blixen/i-know-of-a-cure-for-everything-salt-water-in-one-way-or-the-other/) [Karen Blixen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-blixen/) > [“...the other calling, for me, is that we have to begin this process of truth-telling, that we have to recognize that we can’t get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-stevenson/the-other-calling-for-me-is-that-we-have-to-begin-this-process-of/) [Bryan Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-stevenson/) > [Anyone will be glad to admit that he knows nothing about beagling, or the Chinese stock market, or ballistics, but there is not a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-benchley/anyone-will-be-glad-to-admit-that-he-knows-nothing-about-beagling-or/) [Robert Benchley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-benchley/) > [Suicide I don't know if that the cure to every one of my problems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unkown/suicide-i-don-t-know-if-that-the-cure-to-every-one-of-my-problems/) [Unkown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/unkown/) > [Do you know a cure for me?" Why yes," he said, "I know a cure for everything. Salt water." Salt water?" I asked him.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isak-dinesen/do-you-know-a-cure-for-me-why-yes-he-said-i-know-a-cure-for/) [Isak Dinesen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isak-dinesen/) > [ “How unexpected \[are\] the attacks of destiny!” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/how-unexpected-are-the-attacks-of-destiny/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [Meanwhile, the trees were just as green as before; the birds sang and the sun shone as clearly now as ever. The familiar surroundings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/meanwhile-the-trees-were-just-as-green-as-before-the-birds-sang-and/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [When you work on a passion project, there's always the chance that you'll get your heart broken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-zadan/when-you-work-on-a-passion-project-there-s-always-the-chance-that-you/) [Craig Zadan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-zadan/) > [being asked to decide between your passion for work and your passion for children was like being asked by your doctor whether you preferred…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-bevington/being-asked-to-decide-between-your-passion-for-work-and-your-passion/) [Helen Bevington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-bevington/) > [Ancient eyes had stared at me, filled with ancient grief. And something more. Something so alien and unexpected that I'd almost burst into tears.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/ancient-eyes-had-stared-at-me-filled-with-ancient-grief-and-something/) [Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/) > [experience should teach us that it is always the unexpected that does occur.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/experience-should-teach-us-that-it-is-always-the-unexpected-that-does/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [Life is a helluva thing. You can see trouble coming and you can't do a damn thing to prevent it coming. You just got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-a-helluva-thing-you-can-see-trouble-coming-and-you-can-t-do-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“But life isn’t like that. You can’t be sure how it’s going to come out, even if you do everything right. They turn around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ava-dellaira/but-life-isn-t-like-that-you-can-t-be-sure-how-it-s-going-to-come-out/) [Ava Dellaira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ava-dellaira/) > [If we were to expect the unexpected, then the unexpected would become expected, so we might as well say expect the expected, but then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-we-were-to-expect-the-unexpected-then-the-unexpected-would-become/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Thomas Hardy > [“He grew away from old associations, and saw something new in life and humanity. Secondarily, he made close acquaintance with phenomena which he had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/he-grew-away-from-old-associations-and-saw-something-new-in-life-and/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [“She was in a sound sleep, Jude, dying of anxiety lest she should have caught a chill which might permanently injure her, was glad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/she-was-in-a-sound-sleep-jude-dying-of-anxiety-lest-she-should-have/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [Meanwhile, the trees were just as green as before; the birds sang and the sun shone as clearly now as ever. The familiar surroundings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/meanwhile-the-trees-were-just-as-green-as-before-the-birds-sang-and/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [You ride well, but you don't kiss nicely at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/you-ride-well-but-you-don-t-kiss-nicely-at-all/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [You could sometimes see her twelfth year in her cheeks, or her ninth sparkling from her eyes; and even her fifth would flit over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/you-could-sometimes-see-her-twelfth-year-in-her-cheeks-or-her-ninth/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [“It was mid-May time, bringing with it weather not, perhaps, quite so blooming as that assumed to be natural to the month by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/it-was-mid-may-time-bringing-with-it-weather-not-perhaps-quite-so/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [If Galileo had said in verse that the world moved, the inquisition might have let him alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/if-galileo-had-said-in-verse-that-the-world-moved-the-inquisition/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [Some folk want their luck buttered.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/some-folk-want-their-luck-buttered/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [Measurement of life should be proportioned rather to the intensity of the experience than to its actual length.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/measurement-of-life-should-be-proportioned-rather-to-the-intensity-of/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [“I was court-martialed in my absence, and sentenced to death in my absence, so I said they could shoot me in my absence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/i-was-court-martialed-in-my-absence-and-sentenced-to-death-in-my/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [“It being the first time in his life that he had touched female fingers under water, Dick duly registered the sensation as rather a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/it-being-the-first-time-in-his-life-that-he-had-touched-female/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [“As soon as she could discern the outline of the house, it had all its old effect upon Tess's imagination. Part of her body…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/as-soon-as-she-could-discern-the-outline-of-the-house-it-had-all-its/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [ The perfect woman, you see \[is\] a working-woman; not an idler; not a fine lady; but one who \[uses\] her hands and her head… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/the-perfect-woman-you-see-is-a-working-woman-not-an-idler-not-a-fine/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [“The Sinister Spirit sneered: 'It had to be!' And again the Spirit of Pity whispered, 'Why?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/the-sinister-spirit-sneered-it-had-to-be-and-again-the-spirit-of-pity/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [“Justice” was done, and the President of the Immortals (in Aeschylean phrase) had ended his sport with Tess.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/justice-was-done-and-the-president-of-the-immortals-in-aeschylean/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) [Explore all 561 Thomas Hardy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) ## More Heart quotes > [Against his own will, almost, Will felt himself understanding; he would have done anything, he thought, told any lie, taken any risk, to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/against-his-own-will-almost-will-felt-himself-understanding-he-would/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“He held her like a new woman and what she felt felt almost as good as love had, and each of them called it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-dunn/he-held-her-like-a-new-woman-and-what-she-felt-felt-almost-as-good-as/) [Stephen Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-dunn/) > [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/) > [My heart jumps out of its cage to see what the fuss is about. Damn thing. Always so hopeful, but my voice hides it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-wylie/my-heart-jumps-out-of-its-cage-to-see-what-the-fuss-is-about-damn/) [Sarah Wylie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-wylie/) > [I love because there is not enough room in my heart to hate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rena-kornreich-gelissen/i-love-because-there-is-not-enough-room-in-my-heart-to-hate/) [Rena Kornreich Gelissen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rena-kornreich-gelissen/) > [“He didn't break my heart. No one can break your heart except you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/he-didn-t-break-my-heart-no-one-can-break-your-heart-except-you/) [Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/) > [The United States cannot and should not discriminate on the basis of religion. The free exercise of religion is at the very heart of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/the-united-states-cannot-and-should-not-discriminate-on-the-basis-of/) [Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/) > [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/) > [When we are capable of living in the moment free from the tyranny of "shoulds," free from the nagging sensation that this moment isn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-z-borysenko/when-we-are-capable-of-living-in-the-moment-free-from-the-tyranny-of/) [Joan Z. Borysenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-z-borysenko/) > [My father longed for a better life for us, and when I was nine he got a job as a heart surgeon in Belfast.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-melua/my-father-longed-for-a-better-life-for-us-and-when-i-was-nine-he-got/) [Katie Melua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-melua/) > [O tiger's heart wrapped in a woman's hide!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/o-tiger-s-heart-wrapped-in-a-woman-s-hide/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Love will fan the flame, and that flame will warm the heart that's waiting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-w-smith/love-will-fan-the-flame-and-that-flame-will-warm-the-heart-that-s/) [Michael W. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-w-smith/) > [Always have the fear of God in your heart, and remember that God is always with you, everywhere, whether you are walking or sitting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennadius-of-constantinople/always-have-the-fear-of-god-in-your-heart-and-remember-that-god-is/) [Gennadius of Constantinople](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennadius-of-constantinople/) > [Set NOT your hearts on the flowers of this world. They shall fade and die. Prize the Rose of Sharon and the Lily of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/set-not-your-hearts-on-the-flowers-of-this-world-they-shall-fade-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“She couldn't break the orbit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-schwab/she-couldn-t-break-the-orbit/) [Victoria Schwab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-schwab/) [Browse all 45,172 Heart quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Perhaps to know her would be to cure himself of this unexpected and unauthorized passion.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Thomas Hardy" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/perhaps-to-know-her-would-be-to-cure-himself-of-this-unexpected-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Heart" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/perhaps-to-know-her-would-be-to-cure-himself-of-this-unexpected-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/936/thomas-hardy-410_passion_perhaps-to-know-her-would-be-to-cure-him_1196744.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/936/thomas-hardy-410_passion_perhaps-to-know-her-would-be-to-cure-him_1196744.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/936/thomas-hardy-410_passion_perhaps-to-know-her-would-be-to-cure-him_1196744.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Perhaps to know her would be to cure himself of this unexpected and unauthorized passion.” — Thomas Hardy", "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": "Thomas Hardy", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Perhaps to know her would be...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/perhaps-to-know-her-would-be-to-cure-himself-of-this-unexpected-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/perhaps-to-know-her-would-be-to-cure-himself-of-this-unexpected-and/#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 } } ] } ```