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Isn't it possible, he wondered, for one person to love another without trying to own each other? Or is that buried so deep in our genes that we can never get it out? Territoriality. My wife. My friend. My lover. My outrageous and annoying computer personality who's about to be shut off at the behest of a half- crazy girl with OCD on a planet that I never heard of and how will I live without [her] when she's gone?

Orson Scott Card#7

LoveRelationshipsSadnessPossessivenessBiologyOwnership

About this quote

What does it mean?
It questions whether love can exist without ownership instincts rooted in our biology.
In plain terms
Can we love without trying to own the other person?
What can you take from it?
Love often struggles against possessive instincts.

Where it applies

  • romantic relationships
  • friendships
  • loss and grief

Putting it to work

  • reflect on possessiveness
  • navigate grief
  • examine genetic traits

Questions to consider

  • Can you truly love without ownership?
  • Is possessiveness natural or learned?

Another view

It assumes ownership is purely genetic and not also cultural.

More from Orson Scott Card

  1. The priests say that God created our souls, and that just puts us under the control of another puppeteer. If God created our will, then he's responsible for ev…

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  2. A strange thing happened then. The speaker agreed with her that she had made a mistake that night, and she knew when he said the words that it was true, that h…

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  3. Even if there's no such thing as free will, we have to treat each other as if there were free will in order to live together in society. Because otherwise, eve…

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