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Man is torn away from his primary union with nature, which characterizes animal existence. Having at the same time reason and imagination, he is aware of his aloneness and separateness; of his powerlessness and ignorance; of the accidentalness of his birth and death. He could not face this state of being for a second if he could not find new ties with his fellow man which replace the old ones regulated by instincts. Even if all his physiological needs were satisfied, he would experience his state of aloneness and individuation as a prison from which he had to break in order to preserve his sanity. (...) the necessity to unite with other living beings, to be related to them, is an imperative need on the fulfilment of which man's sanity depends. This need is behind all phenomena which constitute the whole gamut of intimate human relations, of all passions which are called love in the broadest sense of the word. -Erich Fromm, The Sane Society
What is life, when wanting love? Night without a morning;
Love's the cloudless summer sun, Nature gay adorning. -Robert Burns
No man, or woman, was ever cured of love by discovering the falseness of his or her lover. The living together for three long, rainy days in the country has done more to dispel love than all the perfidies in love that have ever been committed. -Arthur Helps
The greatest tragedy of life is not that men perish, but that they cease to love. -W. Somerset Maugham
Mysterious love, uncertain treasure,
Hast thou more of pain or pleasure!
Endless torments dwell about thee:
Yet who would live, and live without thee! -Joseph Addison
Love is never lost. If not reciprocated, it will flow back and soften and purify the heart. -Washington Irving
You can't force someone to love you; all you can do is become someone who can be loved; the rest is up the them. -Unknown
All men and women have an equal need for love. When these needs are not fulfilled it is easy to have our feelings hurt, for which we blame our partner. -John Gray
You can always create your own experience of life in a beautiful and enjoyable way if you keep your love turned on within you- regardless of what other people say or do. -Ken Keyes
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