“I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love.”
- August 26, 1910 – September 5, 1997
- Albanian
- Catholic nun and saint
- Founded the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, India, and won the Nobel Peace Prize for her work in supporting the poor, sick, and orphans
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Quote
“I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love.”
Explanation
Mother Teresa’s quote highlights the transformative power of love. She reveals a profound paradox: when you give love to the point of self-sacrifice, where it feels like it is painful or exhausting, that very act of giving leads to an endless supply of love rather than more pain. This suggests that love, when given freely and without reservation, does not deplete us, but rather expands and multiplies. In giving love fully, we transcend the limitations of our own pain and open ourselves to deeper, more meaningful connections.
This belief was central to Mother Teresa’s life and work, where she devoted herself to caring for the poorest and most suffering members of society. She often worked in conditions where the emotional and physical toll was immense, yet she found that her capacity to love only grew the more she gave. In her experience, true love was not just a feeling, but an active force that healed and nourished both the giver and the receiver.
In the modern world, this message invites us to explore the depth of compassion we can offer. Loving without expectation or self-interest, especially when it is difficult, can help heal wounds and build stronger bonds in our communities. For example, a person offering emotional support to a friend in need may feel exhausted at times, but the more they give, the more they will find their own empathy and compassion growing, transforming the experience into a source of strength and connection rather than depletion.
