Didn’t Get A Valentine? This Quote May Make You Feel Better
A world-class philosopher’s view of love
In my part of the Deep South, you might not have noticed if you didn’t get a Valentine this year: You were still smarting from getting smacked in the face by the banana-flavored Moon Pies tossed to you by masked riders Mardi Gras floats.
But even here, you may be feeling a twinge of regret if your best friend got engaged — to your ex — on Valentine’s Day. Or if nobody gave you a box of Belgian chocolates embossed with an image of Lady Godiva.
On the theory that pessimists may know more about love than wedding planners or candy manufacturers, here’s a quote that may console you:
“Love is an agreement on the part of two people to overestimate each other.”
That comes from the Romanian-born French philosopher E.M. Cioran, who wrote books with such cheerful titles as Hacked to Pieces, On the Heights of Despair, and The Trouble With Being Born. Now don’t you feel better?
You might like my story on how romantic comedies are changing:
