--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Let me begin by telling you that I was in…" description: "\"“Let me begin by telling you that I was in love. An ordinary statement, to be sure, but not an ordinary fact, for so few of us learn that love is tende..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3c/truman-capote-376_good-man_let-me-begin-by-telling-you-that-i-was-i_1344716.jpg" --- # Let me begin by telling you that I was in love. An… ![“Let me begin by telling you that I was in love. An ordinary statement, to be sure, but not an ordinary fact, for so few of us learn that love is tenderness, and tenderness is not, as a fair proportian suspect, pity; and still fewer know that happiness in love is not the absolute focusing of all…” quote by Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3c/truman-capote-376_good-man_let-me-begin-by-telling-you-that-i-was-i_1344716.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3c/truman-capote-376_good-man_let-me-begin-by-telling-you-that-i-was-i_1344716.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3c/truman-capote-376_good-man_let-me-begin-by-telling-you-that-i-was-i_1344716.jpg) > ““Let me begin by telling you that I was in love. An ordinary statement, to be sure, but not an ordinary fact, for so few of us learn that love is tenderness, and tenderness is not, as a fair proportian suspect, pity; and still fewer know that happiness in love is not the absolute focusing of all emotion in another: one has always to love a good many things which the beloved must come only to symbolize; the true beloveds of this world are in their lovers's eyes lilacs opening, ship lights, school bells, a landscape, remembered conversations, friends, a child's Sunday, lost voices, one's favourite suit, autumn and all seasons, memory, yes, it being the earth and water of existence, memory.”” [Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Love is a complex tapestry of tenderness, memory, and everyday symbols, not just romantic focus. **In simple terms:** Love includes many small, ordinary moments. Key Takeaway Cherish everyday details that symbolize love. Themes love memory everyday beauty Mood poetic reflective Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - marriage counseling - creative writing - mindfulness practice - artistic expression Key Concepts philosophy psychology symbolism Questions to Reflect On - What ordinary moments make you feel loved? - How can you express love through everyday symbols? A Different Perspective Focusing only on grand gestures can miss subtle love. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beloveds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beloveds-1429859/) [Emotion Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotion-love/) [Good man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-man/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Love Tenderness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-tenderness-639254/) [Telling Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/telling-love/) ## Related quotes > [The true beloveds of this world are in their lover's eyes lilacs opening, ship lights, school bells, a landscape, remembered conversations, friends, a child's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/the-true-beloveds-of-this-world-are-in-their-lover-s-eyes-lilacs/) [Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) > [“How many husbands and wives,” Merrin uttered sadly, “must believe they have fallen out of love because their hearts no longer race at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-peter-blatty/how-many-husbands-and-wives-merrin-uttered-sadly-must-believe-they-2/) [William Peter Blatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-peter-blatty/) > [“BELOVEDS! Please read my book...the reviews are EXCELLENT SO FAR!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-savage/beloveds-please-read-my-book-the-reviews-are-excellent-so-far/) [Scarlett Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-savage/) > [Lovers do all the talking and writing. What are the Beloveds thinking?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/lovers-do-all-the-talking-and-writing-what-are-the-beloveds-thinking/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [“How many husbands and wives must believe they have fallen out of love because their hearts no longer race at the sight of their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-peter-blatty/how-many-husbands-and-wives-must-believe-they-have-fallen-out-of-love/) [William Peter Blatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-peter-blatty/) > [Let your love propel your beloveds into the world-and into the full experience of who they are. In this will you have truly loved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/let-your-love-propel-your-beloveds-into-the-world-and-into-the-full/) [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) > [“Love! Love! Your tenderness, Your beautiful, watchful ways”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-mansfield/love-love-your-tenderness-your-beautiful-watchful-ways/) [Katherine Mansfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-mansfield/) > [After their encounter on the approach to Jupiter, there would aways be a secret bond between them---not of love, but of tenderness, which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-c-clarke/after-their-encounter-on-the-approach-to-jupiter-there-would-aways-be/) [Arthur C. Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-c-clarke/) > [Not every song has to be about love and tenderness, sometimes you have those strictly physical feelings for somebody and it's okay to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-levine/not-every-song-has-to-be-about-love-and-tenderness-sometimes-you-have/) [Adam Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-levine/) > [“I tell them that we can choose to be perfect and admired or to be real and loved. We must decide. If we choose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glennon-doyle-melton/i-tell-them-that-we-can-choose-to-be-perfect-and-admired-or-to-be/) [Glennon Doyle Melton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glennon-doyle-melton/) > [ \[Her\] love and tenderness ... gave me the faith in love that enabled me to face my dead at last and write this play-write… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/her-love-and-tenderness-gave-me-the-faith-in-love-that-enabled-me-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We efface an hour by passionate love, without twists, without aftertaste. When it is finished, it is not finished, we lie still in each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/we-efface-an-hour-by-passionate-love-without-twists-without/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [The most powerful symptom of love is a tenderness which becomes at times almost insupportable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/the-most-powerful-symptom-of-love-is-a-tenderness-which-becomes-at/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“It is a known fact that the emotion of LOVE is closely akin to the state of mind known as FAITH,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/it-is-a-known-fact-that-the-emotion-of-love-is-closely-akin-to-the/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [Love isn't just a feeling without emotion, love is all emotions put into a feeling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamara-bean/love-isn-t-just-a-feeling-without-emotion-love-is-all-emotions-put/) [Tamara Bean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamara-bean/) ## More by Truman Capote > [“You can beat your brains out for her, and she’ll hand you horseshit on a platter.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/you-can-beat-your-brains-out-for-her-and-she-ll-hand-you-horseshit-on/) [Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) > [“The walls of the cell fell away, the sky came down, I saw the big yellow bird.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/the-walls-of-the-cell-fell-away-the-sky-came-down-i-saw-the-big/) [Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) > [“Don't wanna ride on the devil's side...just wanna ride with you”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/don-t-wanna-ride-on-the-devil-s-side-just-wanna-ride-with-you/) [Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) > [Wrinkles and bones, white hair and diamonds: I can't wait.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/wrinkles-and-bones-white-hair-and-diamonds-i-can-t-wait/) [Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) > [You can't blame a writer for what the characters say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/you-can-t-blame-a-writer-for-what-the-characters-say/) [Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) > [There is really no practical help that one can offer; it is a matter of self-discovery, of one's own convictions, or working with one's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/there-is-really-no-practical-help-that-one-can-offer-it-is-a-matter/) [Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) > [“...Narcissus was so egotist...he was merely another of us who, in our unshatterable isolation, recognized, on seeing his reflection, the beautiful comrade, the only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/narcissus-was-so-egotist-he-was-merely-another-of-us-who-in-our/) [Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) > [“Is it - I'm not certain - possible to love someone if your first interest is the use you can make of him? Doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/is-it-i-m-not-certain-possible-to-love-someone-if-your-first-interest/) [Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) > [One of the most difficult things in writing a novel or anything at all is to choose the point of view from which it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/one-of-the-most-difficult-things-in-writing-a-novel-or-anything-at/) [Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) > [I've never worked for a newspaper. I've had some very bad reviews in newspapers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/i-ve-never-worked-for-a-newspaper-i-ve-had-some-very-bad-reviews-in/) [Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) > [But, my dear, so few things are fulfilled: what are most lives but a series of incompleted episodes? 'We work in the dark, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/but-my-dear-so-few-things-are-fulfilled-what-are-most-lives-but-a/) [Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) > [“…she, glittery voyager of secure destination, steamed down the harbor with whistles whistling and confetti in the air.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/she-glittery-voyager-of-secure-destination-steamed-down-the-harbor/) [Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) > [“Because it's indeed difficult to portray, in any meaningful depth, another being, his appearance, speech, mentality, without to some degree, and often for quite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/because-it-s-indeed-difficult-to-portray-in-any-meaningful-depth/) [truman capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) > [“It's a bore, but the answer is good things only happen to you if you're good. Good? Honest is more what I mean. Not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/it-s-a-bore-but-the-answer-is-good-things-only-happen-to-you-if-you/) [Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) > [“In the courtyard there was an angel of black stone, and its angel head rose above giant elephant leaves; the stark glass angel eyes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/in-the-courtyard-there-was-an-angel-of-black-stone-and-its-angel-head/) [Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) [Explore all 585 Truman Capote quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) ## More Good man quotes > [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. 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But I'm not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-pleshette/troy-was-a-sweet-good-man-we-just-were-never-destined-to-be-married/) [Suzanne Pleshette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-pleshette/) > [The life of a good man was a continual warfare with his passions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-richardson/the-life-of-a-good-man-was-a-continual-warfare-with-his-passions/) [Samuel Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-richardson/) > [ I don't see \[ Trainspotting \] as an albatross, I see it more as a calling card. It's got me out to Hollywood, I've… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/i-don-t-see-trainspotting-as-an-albatross-i-see-it-more-as-a-calling/) [Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/) > [“I put no stock in religion. By the word religion I have seen the lunacy of fanatics of every denomination be called the will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-monahan/i-put-no-stock-in-religion-by-the-word-religion-i-have-seen-the/) [William Monahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-monahan/) > [To follow good manners willingly is like paving the road and to tell somebody to follow them is like the road which is always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/to-follow-good-manners-willingly-is-like-paving-the-road-and-to-tell/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [“It is said that the hallmark of a gentleman is that he is only ever rude intentionally. Arthur Bryant was no gentleman. His rudeness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-fowler/it-is-said-that-the-hallmark-of-a-gentleman-is-that-he-is-only-ever/) [Christopher Fowler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-fowler/) > [I'm a good man with a good heart had a tough time, got a rough start But I finally learned to let it go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mayer/i-m-a-good-man-with-a-good-heart-had-a-tough-time-got-a-rough-start/) [John Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mayer/) > [ I've often thought about that and the only suitable member to join me on that climb \[to Everest\] was George Lowe: he was strong,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-hillary/i-ve-often-thought-about-that-and-the-only-suitable-member-to-join-me/) [Edmund Hillary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-hillary/) > [Of course, when you play football yourself you can think you want to become a manager but it does not make you a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaap-stam/of-course-when-you-play-football-yourself-you-can-think-you-want-to/) [Jaap Stam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaap-stam/) > [“Falsehood of a good man is better than truth of a bad one.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raheel-farooq/falsehood-of-a-good-man-is-better-than-truth-of-a-bad-one/) [Raheel Farooq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raheel-farooq/) > [“Atticus adjusted his glasses as he peered down at the blanket. “Hey, is that the book Nellie told us about?” Jake’s eyes flicked to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jude-watson/atticus-adjusted-his-glasses-as-he-peered-down-at-the-blanket-hey-is/) [Jude Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jude-watson/) > [A good man therefore is a standing lesson to us all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-fielding/a-good-man-therefore-is-a-standing-lesson-to-us-all/) [Henry Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-fielding/) > [“Grits Glossary blues \\’blüz\\ n: nothing but a good man singing about hardship, sorrow, and the things he’s done wrong--but sake’s alive, they make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ford/grits-glossary-blues-bl-z-n-nothing-but-a-good-man-singing-about/) [Deborah Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ford/) [Browse all 2,081 Good man quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-man/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Let me begin by telling you that I was in love. 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