A kindness received should be returned with a freer hand.
Romantic Love delivers us into the passionate arms of someone who will ultimately trigger the same frustrations we had with our parents, but for the best possible reason! Doing so brings our childhood wounds to the surface so they can be healed.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Romantic love can reveal unresolved issues from our childhood, allowing us to heal them.
In this quote, Harville Hendrix suggests that romantic love is not just a blissful experience but also a profound journey that uncovers deep-seated emotional wounds rooted in our childhood. When we engage in intimate relationships, we may find ourselves facing similar frustrations and challenges as those we experienced with our parents. This process, though challenging, serves a purpose: it allows us to confront and heal those old wounds, ultimately leading to personal growth and healthier relationships.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a relationship counseling session, one might use this quote to illustrate how past experiences affect current love.
Similar quotes
Women deeply want men who are competent and powerful. And I don't mean power in that they can exert tyrannical control over others. That's not power. That's just corruption.
I love being single. It's great. I get to be who I am and do what I want and be with the people I love. I feel like I have everything and I'm very fortunate, and it's very rich fulfilling time in my life.
I shall commit my thoughts to paper, it is true; but that is a poor medium for the communication of feeling. I desire the company of a man who could sympathize with me, whose eyes would reply to mine.
In fact, people with mental illness are more likely to be the victims of violence rather than anything else. So it's important that we not stereotype folks with mental illness.
The great marriages are partnerships. It can't be a great marriage without being a partnership.