Un homme sans passion et sans argent reste maitre de sa personne; mais un malheureux qui aime ne s'appartient plus et ne peut pas se tuer. L'amour nous donne une sorte de religion pour nous-memes, nous respectons en nous une autre vie; il devient alors le plus horrible des malheurs.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- A man without passion or money controls himself, but a lover loses self‑ownership and cannot end his own life; love becomes a religion that brings both reverence and misery.
- In plain terms
- Love can make you lose control and cause suffering.
- What can you take from it?
- Recognize when love becomes self‑destructive.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- When does love become harmful?
- Can love coexist with personal autonomy?
Another view
It frames love as inevitably painful, ignoring healthy love.
More from Honore de Balzac
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