If I’m reading George Orwell’s words correctly, he seemed to believe that love and understanding are exclusive of one another.
And yet, I find that the people who love me the best are also the very ones who take the time to understand me … the real me. Or is it that the ones who understand me the best are the very ones who love me the most faithfully?
See how the two — love and understanding — are intertwined?
When you love someone you want to know them. Even more than that, you want to understand them: their history that made them who they are today, as well as their hopes and dreams for tomorrow. You want to speak comfort into their wounds and replace lies with truth.
It’s only as you commit the time and effort to understanding someone that you can truly love them. And in the process, you’ll come to understand yourself better, too.
In Your Words: So what do you think, friends? Do we choose between love and understanding? Or are love and understanding intertwined? What’s your perspective?
[ctt template=”8″ link=”hb49p” via=”yes” ]In Others\’ Words: Love or Understanding http://wp.me/p63waO-2s0 #quotes #love[/ctt] [ctt template=”8″ link=”pdc9L” via=”yes” ]\”Perhaps one did not want to be loved so much as to be understood.\” http://wp.me/p63waO-2s0 #quote #GeorgeOrwell[/ctt]
Comments 7
I’m hurting too bad, and am far too frightened to care if I am understood or not. I just need a hug.
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Andrew:
Sending you a virtual hug wrapped up in a prayer, my friend.
I’ll be praying for you throughout the day.
Many thanks, Beth.
I do think they’re intertwined, that true understanding can lead to far deeper and higher-quality love than many experience, and the Lord models that for us the best of all.
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Dee: It’s true that during His time on earth, Jesus took the time to understand people — to see them for who they were. And in doing so, He loved them with compassion and forgiveness they’d never experienced before.
Oh goodness. I read this this morning and was sure I commented. Well . . . maybe not. This post got me thinking. I think of stories or/and movies where a character professes love to another but they don’t truly engage or seek to know what the “beloved” is passionate about. I think love can only grow as we seek to understand those we love. As the layers of a person peel away, we see the essence of who they are, we learn to love them, and we also understand them.
Great post, Beth!
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Jeanne: The day can get away from us, can’t it? 😉
And yes, we see the love vs. understand dilemma played out in books and movies … and the “come to love better as we understand each other” plot line also appears quite often. Why? Because it’s true in real life. That’s why these kinds of stories resonate with is so much.