“Never go on trips with anyone you do not love.”
- July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961
- American
- Novelist, poet, journalist
- Wrote masterpieces such as “The Old Man and the Sea,” “A Farewell to Arms,” and “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” and won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954
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Quote
“Never go on trips with anyone you do not love.”
Explanation
In this quote, Hemingway offers a piece of advice about the emotional and psychological toll that traveling with someone who is not deeply connected to you can take. He suggests that travel—whether it’s a long journey or even just a short getaway—can be a transformative experience, but it also brings you into close quarters with the people you’re with. If you are not with someone you truly love or care about, the time spent together may feel like an emotional burden, rather than an opportunity for shared experience and connection. Love, in this sense, isn’t just romantic love but could also encompass deep friendship or companionship—the kind of bond that makes the challenges and discomforts of travel more bearable and even enriching.
Hemingway’s own life was marked by frequent travel and adventure, and he often took inspiration from the places he visited in his writing. However, many of his works, such as The Sun Also Rises and A Farewell to Arms, also explore the complexities of relationships and the way that shared experiences—like travel—can either bring people closer together or expose their fragility. This quote reflects his belief that, in intimate settings like travel, the bond between people is tested in ways that require emotional depth and connection. Without love or mutual respect, the trip could turn into an uncomfortable or even alienating experience.
In the modern context, this quote can be a reminder about the value of quality over quantity in relationships. In a world where we often find ourselves traveling for work, leisure, or social events with various people, Hemingway’s advice encourages us to carefully consider the dynamics of the relationships we’re engaging in. The quote suggests that, in shared experiences like travel, we should prioritize companionships that enrich our lives, rather than those that drain our emotional energy or test our patience. Whether in friendship, family, or romantic relationships, it’s a reminder that time spent with people we care about deeply can lead to more rewarding and meaningful experiences.
