--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Young people, Lord. Do they still call it…" description: "\"“Young people, Lord. Do they still call it infatuation? That magic ax that chops away the world in one blow, leaving only the couple standing there tre..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/704/toni-morrison-271_love_young-people-lord-do-they-still-call-it_1202416.jpg" --- # Young people, Lord. Do they still call it infatuation?… ![“Young people, Lord. Do they still call it infatuation? That magic ax that chops away the world in one blow, leaving only the couple standing there trembling? Whatever they call it, it leaps over anything, takes the biggest chair, the largest slice, rules the ground wherever it walks, from a…” quote by Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/704/toni-morrison-271_love_young-people-lord-do-they-still-call-it_1202416.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/704/toni-morrison-271_love_young-people-lord-do-they-still-call-it_1202416.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/704/toni-morrison-271_love_young-people-lord-do-they-still-call-it_1202416.jpg) > ““Young people, Lord. Do they still call it infatuation? That magic ax that chops away the world in one blow, leaving only the couple standing there trembling? Whatever they call it, it leaps over anything, takes the biggest chair, the largest slice, rules the ground wherever it walks, from a mansion to a swamp, and its selfishness is its beauty. Before I was reduced to singsong, I saw all kinds of mating. Most are two-night stands trying to last a season. Some, the riptide ones, claim exclusive right to the real name, even though everybody drowns in its wake. People with no imagination feed it with sex—the clown of love. They don’t know the real kinds, the better kinds, where losses are cut and everybody benefits. It takes a certain intelligence to love like that—softly, without props. But the world is such a showpiece, maybe that’s why folks try to outdo it, put everything they feel onstage just to prove they can think up things too: handsome scary things like fights to the death, adultery, setting sheets afire. They fail, of course. The world outdoes them every time. While they are busy showing off, digging other people’s graves, hanging themselves on a cross, running wild in the streets, cherries are quietly turning from greed to red, oysters are suffering pearls, and children are catching rain in their mouths expecting the drops to be cold but they’re not; they are warm and smell like pineapple before they get heavier and heavier, so heavy and fast they can’t be caught one at a time. Poor swimmers head for shore while strong ones wait for lightning’s silver veins. Bottle-green clouds sweep in, pushing the rain inland where palm trees pretend to be shocked by the wind. Women scatter shielding their hair and men bend low holding the women’s shoulders against their chests. I run too, finally. I say finally because I do like a good storm. I would be one of those people in the weather channel leaning into the wind while lawmen shout in megaphones: ‘Get moving!”” [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage portrays love as a powerful, chaotic force that can dominate and distort human behavior, contrasting genuine, intelligent love with selfish, performative displays. **In simple terms:** Love is a wild, consuming force that can be both beautiful and destructive. Key Takeaway Seek authentic, thoughtful love rather than flashy, selfish displays. Themes love power authenticity society human nature Mood reflective melancholic hopeful Type literary philosophical social commentary When to use this quote - relationships - personal growth - social media influence - artistic expression - political activism Key Concepts psychology philosophy social critique emotional intelligence Questions to Reflect On - How can we recognize authentic love amid societal noise? - What does “intelligent love” look like in daily life? 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Is it the ambition of discovering for the first time what the carnal definition of physical love is without understanding the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-rusilko/what-is-hope-is-it-the-ambition-of-discovering-for-the-first-time/) [Ivan Rusilko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-rusilko/) > [Theres a zoom up in the TV screen Living cancer to our self-esteem yea Cause if this an airless beauty queen But everything aint…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valentinooo-c/theres-a-zoom-up-in-the-tv-screen-living-cancer-to-our-self-esteem/) [Valentinooo\_c](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valentinooo-c/) > [Actually, when I look at my old notebooks, I think I have been a bit self-indulgent and have given myself too much time to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-goldberg/actually-when-i-look-at-my-old-notebooks-i-think-i-have-been-a-bit/) [Natalie Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-goldberg/) > [“The men came to mind as mostly idle between nights of running wild or time in the pen, cooking moon and gathering around the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-woodrell/the-men-came-to-mind-as-mostly-idle-between-nights-of-running-wild-or/) [Daniel Woodrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-woodrell/) ## More by Toni Morrison > [Perhaps that's what all human relationships boiled down to: Would you save my life? or would you take it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/perhaps-that-s-what-all-human-relationships-boiled-down-to-would-you/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [There, in the center of that silence was not eternity but the death of time and a loneliness so profound the word itself had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/there-in-the-center-of-that-silence-was-not-eternity-but-the-death-of/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [In times of dread, artists must never choose to remain silent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/in-times-of-dread-artists-must-never-choose-to-remain-silent/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“Not know it was hard;knowing it was harder”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/not-know-it-was-hard-knowing-it-was-harder/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“Didn’t everything on God’s earth have or acquire defense?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/didn-t-everything-on-god-s-earth-have-or-acquire-defense/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [If you can't count, they can cheat you. If you can't read, they can beat you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/if-you-can-t-count-they-can-cheat-you-if-you-can-t-read-they-can-beat/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“You looked at them and wondered why the were so ugly; you looked closely and could not find the source. Then you realized that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/you-looked-at-them-and-wondered-why-the-were-so-ugly-you-looked/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [All she saw, down in the cellar well beneath the stoop, was a light yellow feather with a tip of green. And she had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/all-she-saw-down-in-the-cellar-well-beneath-the-stoop-was-a-light/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [For me, Art is the restoration of order. It may discuss all sort of terrible things, but there must be satisfaction at the end.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/for-me-art-is-the-restoration-of-order-it-may-discuss-all-sort-of/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“To Sethe, the future was a matter of keeping the past at bay”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/to-sethe-the-future-was-a-matter-of-keeping-the-past-at-bay/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“Hate does that. Burns off everything but itself, so whatever your grievance is, your face looks just like your enemy's.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/hate-does-that-burns-off-everything-but-itself-so-whatever-your/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“You know how a star is supposed to twinkle? We say twinkle because that is how it looks, but when a star feels itself,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/you-know-how-a-star-is-supposed-to-twinkle-we-say-twinkle-because/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“There is no bad luck in the world but whitefolks”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/there-is-no-bad-luck-in-the-world-but-whitefolks/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [My father saw two black men lynched on his street in Cartersville, as a child. And I think seeing two black businessmen - not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/my-father-saw-two-black-men-lynched-on-his-street-in-cartersville-as/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“She was fierce in the presence of death, heroic even, as she was at no other time. Its threat gave her direction, clarity, audacity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/she-was-fierce-in-the-presence-of-death-heroic-even-as-she-was-at-no/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) [Explore all 774 Toni Morrison quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) ## More Infatuation quotes > [Love is psychotic infatuation x10](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fade-wane/love-is-psychotic-infatuation-x10/) [Fade Wane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fade-wane/) > [“My whole being is a dark chant that will carry you perpetuating you to the dawn of eternal growths and blossomings in this chant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/forugh-farrokhzad/my-whole-being-is-a-dark-chant-that-will-carry-you-perpetuating-you/) [Forugh Farrokhzad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/forugh-farrokhzad/) > [“The smell of her hair lingered just out of reach of his memory and left him with a nervous hum resonating throughout his body…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-tomblin/the-smell-of-her-hair-lingered-just-out-of-reach-of-his-memory-and/) [Erik Tomblin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-tomblin/) > [Men outlive their love, but they don’t outlive the consequences of their recklessness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/men-outlive-their-love-but-they-don-t-outlive-the-consequences-of/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [After a semester or so, my infatuation with computers burnt out as quickly as it had begun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-allin-cornell/after-a-semester-or-so-my-infatuation-with-computers-burnt-out-as/) [Eric Allin Cornell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-allin-cornell/) > [“Love is the illusion you get in the mids of infatuation and happiness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tia-clark/love-is-the-illusion-you-get-in-the-mids-of-infatuation-and-happiness/) [Tia Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tia-clark/) > [Each moment of the happy lover's hour is worth an age of dull and common life. -](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aphra-behn/each-moment-of-the-happy-lover-s-hour-is-worth-an-age-of-dull-and/) [Aphra Behn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aphra-behn/) > [Love is when you realize that he's as sexy as Woody Allen, as smart as Jimmy Connors, as funny as Ralph Nader, as athletic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-viorst/love-is-when-you-realize-that-he-s-as-sexy-as-woody-allen-as-smart-as/) [Judith Viorst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-viorst/) > [One does silly things when one is twelve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/one-does-silly-things-when-one-is-twelve/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“How unfortunate is the guy who does not live in the extravagant memory of an infatuated young woman.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manu-joseph/how-unfortunate-is-the-guy-who-does-not-live-in-the-extravagant/) [Manu Joseph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manu-joseph/) > [“Marianne would have thought herself very inexcusable had she been able to sleep at all the first night after parting from Willoughby. She would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/marianne-would-have-thought-herself-very-inexcusable-had-she-been/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) > [“And I hug her again. Because I just can’t stop touching this girl.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mindy-mcginnis/and-i-hug-her-again-because-i-just-can-t-stop-touching-this-girl/) [Mindy McGinnis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mindy-mcginnis/) > [You can't truly love someone if you also love yourself, just as you can't love someone if you are not honest with them and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-stone/you-can-t-truly-love-someone-if-you-also-love-yourself-just-as-you/) [Benjamin Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-stone/) > [Jake was close to tears. In that moment he saw the world in its true light, as a place where nothing had ever been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kingsley-amis/jake-was-close-to-tears-in-that-moment-he-saw-the-world-in-its-true/) [Kingsley Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kingsley-amis/) > [No one can understand love who has not experienced infatuation. And no one can understand infatuation, no matter how many times he has experienced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/no-one-can-understand-love-who-has-not-experienced-infatuation-and-no/) [Mignon McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/) [Browse all 354 Infatuation quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/infatuation/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Young people, Lord. Do they still call it infatuation? That magic ax that chops away the world in one blow, leaving only the couple standing there trembling? Whatever they call it, it leaps over anything, takes the biggest chair, the largest slice, rules the ground wherever it walks, from a mansion to a swamp, and its selfishness is its beauty. Before I was reduced to singsong, I saw all kinds of mating. Most are two-night stands trying to last a season. Some, the riptide ones, claim exclusive right to the real name, even though everybody drowns in its wake. People with no imagination feed it with sex—the clown of love. They don’t know the real kinds, the better kinds, where losses are cut and everybody benefits. It takes a certain intelligence to love like that—softly, without props. But the world is such a showpiece, maybe that’s why folks try to outdo it, put everything they feel onstage just to prove they can think up things too: handsome scary things like fights to the death, adultery, setting sheets afire. They fail, of course. The world outdoes them every time. While they are busy showing off, digging other people’s graves, hanging themselves on a cross, running wild in the streets, cherries are quietly turning from greed to red, oysters are suffering pearls, and children are catching rain in their mouths expecting the drops to be cold but they’re not; they are warm and smell like pineapple before they get heavier and heavier, so heavy and fast they can’t be caught one at a time. Poor swimmers head for shore while strong ones wait for lightning’s silver veins. Bottle-green clouds sweep in, pushing the rain inland where palm trees pretend to be shocked by the wind. Women scatter shielding their hair and men bend low holding the women’s shoulders against their chests. I run too, finally. I say finally because I do like a good storm. 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