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We don't love qualities; we love a person; sometimes by reason of their defects as well as their qualities.
Jacques Maritain
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Interpretation

What this quote means

True love encompasses both the strengths and weaknesses of a person.

This quote by Jacques Maritain emphasizes that love is not based solely on the positive traits of an individual; rather, it is a deeper connection that includes an appreciation for their entire being, including flaws. This holistic love recognizes that imperfections can contribute to the uniqueness and depth of the relationship, making it more profound and authentic.

Themes

LovePersonQualitiesDefectsRelationships

In practice

Example use cases

During a wedding speech, one might quote this to highlight the depth of the couple's love.

More from Jacques Maritain

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Every work of art reaches man in his inner powers. It reaches him more profoundly and insidiously than any rational proposition, either cogent demonstration or sophistry. For it strikes him with two terrible weapons, Intuition and Beauty, and at the single root in him of all his energies... Art and Poetry awaken the dreams of man, and his longings, and reveal to him some of the abysses he has in himself.
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The aim of education is to guide young persons in the process _x000D_ through which they shape themselves as human persons-armed with knowledge, strength of judgment, and moral virtues-while at the same time conveying to them the spiritual heritage of the nation and the civilization in which they are involved.
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The poet knows himself only on the condition that things resound in him, and that in him, at a single awakening, they and he come forth together out of sleep.
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