Alone Is Alone, Not Alive
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Alone Is Alone, Not Alive
To love and admire anything outside yourself is to take one step away from utter spiritual ruin;
C. S. Lewis • Mere Christianity
To allow yourself to play with another person is no small risk. It means allowing yourself to be open, to be exposed, to be hurt. It is the human equivalent of the dog rolling on its back—I know you won’t hurt me, even though you can.
Gabrielle Zevin • Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow: A novel
Novelist and literary scholar C. S. Lewis on the risk of love:
"There is no safe investment. To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies a... See more
"There is no safe investment. To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies a... See more
We bring to our romantic relationships an almost unbearable existential vulnerability—as if love itself weren’t dangerous enough.
Esther Perel • Mating in Captivity: Unlocking Erotic Intelligence
To allow yourself to play with another person is no small risk. It means allowing yourself to be open, to be exposed, to be hurt. It is the human equivalent of the dog rolling on its back—I know you won’t hurt me, even though you can. It is the dog putting its mouth around your hand and never biting down. To play requires trust and love.