I will love you not just for your wit and talent...

“I will love you not just for your wit and talent and beauty, but simply because you are you, with no strings attached. I love you for who you are deep in your soul, not for the color of your eyes or the length of your legs or the size of your checkbook. The longing is that the lover admire us stripped of our external assets, appreciating the essence of our being without accomplishments, ready to repeat the unconditional love said by some to exist between parent and child. The real self is what one can freely choose to be, and if a birthmark arises on our forehead or age withers us or recession bankrupts us, then we must be excused for accidents that have damaged what is only our surface. And even if we are beautiful and rich, then we do not wish to be loved on account of these things, for they may fail us, and with them, love. I would prefer you to compliment me on my brain than on my face, but if you must, then I would rather you comment on my smile [motor and muscle-controlled] then on my nose [static and tissue-based]. The desire is that I be loved even if I lost everything, leaving nothing but “me,” this mysterious “me” taken to be the self at its weakest, most vulnerable point. Do you love me enough that I may be weak with you? Everyone loves strength, but do you love me for my weakness? That is the real test. Do you love me stripped of everything that might be lost, for only the things I will have forever?”

— Alain de Botton, “On Love: A Novel” (via lifeinpoetry)

Source: lifeinpoetry
1. bric-a-brac-n-tete-a-tete likes this
2. angelinawei reblogged this from lifeinpoetry
3. horrorvaccui reblogged this from sallymurphy
4. bittermelon23 likes this
5. kissingscenes reblogged this from luxxii
6. luxxii reblogged this from lifeinpoetry
7. rsouriya likes this
8. fu-tility reblogged this from ke-koa
9. flormach reblogged this from heywardamneagle
10. trying-to-find-a-way-back-home reblogged this from heywardamneagle
11. thedogwalker likes this
12. anthemforaseventeenyearold likes this
13. andhowdoyoudo likes this
14. itsbitchney69 reblogged this from heywardamneagle
15. ejaysaurus reblogged this from heywardamneagle
16. ejaysaurus likes this
17. the-greengrass-grows likes this
18. yournewfave likes this
19. martanaenae reblogged this from heywardamneagle
20. heywardamneagle reblogged this from nickhornung
21. anniemoira likes this
22. writtenthenburnt reblogged this from sallymurphy
23. anyyonesghost likes this
24. throughglasss reblogged this from sallymurphy
25. fu-tility likes this
26. onewomandrinkinggames likes this
27. halcyon-xx reblogged this from burninglavender
28. burninglavender reblogged this from sallymurphy
29. mandarin400 reblogged this from ke-koa
30. serdstse reblogged this from blowyourownjob
31. chewwithyourmouthopen reblogged this from volatileandawake
32. sp0ken-l0ve likes this
33. heyyousmileee reblogged this from unfaithful-style
34. heyyousmileee likes this
35. cowabungadudette likes this
36. heartcorehannah likes this
37. unfaithful-style likes this
38. unfaithful-style reblogged this from themfolkaintbiting
39. themfolkaintbiting likes this
40. themfolkaintbiting reblogged this from asleap
41. epavadezile reblogged this from fearofyouth
42. numb-rose reblogged this from awfulness
43. sawy0oubliink likes this
44. getmesomejunk likes this
45. lostgirl49 likes this
46. pugasm likes this
47. llazygagaa likes this
48. awfulness reblogged this from asleap
49. botanize likes this
50. wasted-lies reblogged this from asleap
51. Show more notesLoading...