“Love is something eternal, the aspects may change, but not the essence. There is the same difference in a person before and after he is in love as there is in an unlighted lamp and one that is burning. The lamp was there and it is a good lamp, but now it is shedding light, too, and that is its real function.”
What this quote means
Van Gogh compares love to a lamp: the essence is there before lighting, but it is love that illuminates it and gives it its function. Love does not change who we are fundamentally, but it reveals our potential, our capacity to shine. It transforms our existence, giving it purpose and warmth. It is a metaphor for fulfillment: love does not add something external; it activates what is already within us but dormant.
How to apply it daily
Think of a time when love lit up your life. Today, strive to be that light for someone else, offering your presence and kindness.
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