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True love is not the helpless desire to possess the cherished object of one's fervent affection; true love is the disciplined generosity we require of ourselves for the sake of another when we would rather be selfish; that, at least, is how I have taught myself to love my wife.

— Stephen L. Carter The Emperor of Ocean Park (2002)

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Love

More quotes by Stephen L. Carter

Rumor is rarely more interesting than fact, but it is always more readily available.

The Emperor of Ocean Park (2002)

Liberalism, for all its virtues, has begun to develop a sense of entitlement, and needs time to rediscover its soul.

Trump and the Fall of Liberalism (2016)

"We live today in a world in which nobody believes choices should have consequences. But may I tell you the great secret that our culture seeks to deny? You cannot escape the consequences of your choices. Time runs in only one direction."

The Emperor of Ocean Park (2002)

The mark of a healthy democracy is the preference for argument rather than invective. Those are the roots the left must reclaim.

Trump and the Fall of Liberalism (2016)

The racists are having their revenge.

Trump and the Fall of Liberalism (2016)

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Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind,
And therefore is wing'd Cupid painted blind.

William Shakespeare A Midsummer Night's Dream (1595)

To fear love is to fear life, and those who fear life are already three parts dead.

Bertrand Russell Marriage and Morals (1929)

Not for the body, but for the heart; companion and company are needed.

Sanu Sharma

Love seldom haunts the breast where learning lies,
And Venus sets ere Mercury can rise.

Alexander Pope

Attribution

Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Stephen L. Carter (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.