“We are never so defenseless against suffering as when we love.”
– Sigmund Freud
Love requires vulnerability.
Love means giving another the opportunity and the means to destroy you, trusting that they won’t.
Love means enduring pain with a purpose.
There is nothing so dangerous as love because we let our guard down, a critical component of bonding and healing and growing together that leaves us open to betrayal and destruction of our very being. Inevitably, we will be harmed by those we love because of inattention or intended vitriol. Protecting ourselves from this potential cuts us off from joy and adoration and affection.
Eliminating the downside risk removes the upside return, whether in the world of investments or the heart. Being open to the full range is the greatest risk and reward in the world, and accepting that our soul will bleed at times is an acceptable tradeoff for the ecstasy of love.