Accepting Quote by Toni Morrison
“If he looked into her face, he would see those haunted, loving eyes. The hauntedness would irritate him - the love would move him to fury. How dare she love him? Hadn't she any sense at all? What was he supposed to do about that? Return it? How? What could his calloused hands produce to make her smile? What of his knowledge of the world and of life could be useful to her? What could his heavy arms and befuddled brain accomplish that would earn him his own respect, that would in turn allow him to accept her love?”
About This Quote
The narrator struggles with love and self-respect, questioning how to respond to a lover's haunted eyes.
In simple terms: Love challenges self-respect.
Key Takeaway
Seek healthy love.
Themes
love
self-worth
conflict
Mood
reflective
emotional
Type
personal
psychological
When to use this quote
- relationships
- personal growth
- mental health
Key Concepts
psychology
emotional intelligence
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you balance love and self-respect?
- What actions restore dignity?
A Different Perspective
Love can be destructive.
![“[On her mother:] My relationship with her is close, painful, and skaky, and I always have to keep searching for a sign of love. Everything I do, I do to please her, to make her smile, to ward off her fury. This work is extremely exhausting.” quote by Tove Ditlevsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/5a6/tove-ditlevsen-48825_exhausting_on-her-mother-my-relationship-with-her-i_2620330.jpg)
