Hi, this is a short blog to post my opinion regarding one of Paulo Coelho’s quotes about Love. If you still don’t know this about me, well then please understand that I am big fan of Paulo Coelho’s writings, I’ve been reading his books for years, constantly readings his quotes. However with all respect I have for Paulo’s beautiful messages in his writings, my love for the right and truth is more I guess. What I am trying to say, it is okay to have different opinion, different from Paulo Coelho, and I am not posting this because I have something against Paulo Coelho.
Paulo Coelho said: “Love is neither large nor small, it is simply love. You cannot measure love the way you measure a road. If you did, you would start comparing what you felt with what other people told you or with your own hopes. That way, you are only going to hear stories, rather than follow your own path.” When I first read the quote, I thought it was nice, I still believe it’s nicely expressed! expressions can be loved more than actions or intentions if you didn’t know! Anyway, I think what Paulo said is not entirely true, I tend to disagree with the first sentence that love is neither large nor small or that you cannot measure love the way we measure a road (I agree to measure love there is different methodology and standards) but I think what Paulo meant is that Love is immeasurable this is where I disagree with the wiseman. Note: I could be disagreeing with my own understanding of his words!
Why I disagree? first of all I think love can actually be large or small. Otherwise there is no meaning in loving your parents more than loving strangers, while you might love both but you cannot deny the fact that you feel you have more love for your parents (If you were in a good terms with them though). Why did you marry the man/lady you married? isn’t it because you loved him/her more than others? or loved specific traits about them? even if your love was so deep on soul level, why this soul and not another? to say that you can love everyone in this world equally is not true, at least for people like me and you. If you believe that you can love something more than another, then there is no need to prove that Love can be measured! the moment there is a difference it automatically means it can be measured (Exception for concepts like God, The Infinite, Universal Mind, ...etc) . Since I am Muslim, I usually base my claims on the Quran. The translation of what God said: “And [yet], among the people are those who take other than Allah as equals [to Him]. They love them as they [should] love Allah . But those who believe are stronger in love for Allah” (Part of verse 164 of Chapter 2) so God said those who believed in him, their love was much stronger! I repeat, if it was stronger it simply means it can be measured.
Note that when I say it can be measured, I mean the intensity of Love in human beings, but “Love” as itself or those who consider Love = God or universal force, then no human can measure it but this is out of my topic as Paulo didn’t mean it this way. To measure the intensity of Love again there is two things, intentions, thoughts, will, …etc and actions, words, …etc the first one can be measured by yourself if you are skilled in this field or even another human being if you exposed your intentions to them, with certain values in place in the society and you are ready to measure! As for actions I think most of you are able to measure it, but again I would say it depends on the values you are benchmarking with, otherwise you will be confused, since I might do an act that doesn’t seem to be “Love Actions” but deeply in my heart I didn’t express the love by actions or might be because of many different factors which we are used to in movies or even in the relationship between parents and their children. Having said that, I am ending this post with a beautiful love quote from my favourite Paulo’s book “The Alchemist”, he wrote: “Love never stops a man from following his personal legend. If that happens, it’s because it isn’t true love. The Love that speaks the language of the world.” Your thoughts on this topic?
wait wait wait ... now even love has rules, you love your wife kids and your parents but if u had to sacrifice one of three god forbid its for sure not the parents not only cause of love but its kind of a role,branchs burn cut ok but never a root. parental love off spring love, soul mate love, heck even an affair, all got rules, now that is one side of the of the case like you covered few sides too.
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