“There are times when not loving at all guarantees the purity of passion.”
- January 14, 1925 – November 25, 1970
- Born in Japan
- Novelist, playwright, critic, political activist
Japanese
「全然愛していないということが、情熱の純粋さの保証になる場合があるのだ。」
English
“There are times when not loving at all guarantees the purity of passion.”
Explanation
In this quote, Mishima presents a paradoxical view on passion and love. He suggests that, in certain cases, the absence of love—or the lack of emotional attachment—can actually enhance the purity of one’s passion. This could mean that when one does not love, there are no external expectations or attachments clouding their emotions, allowing passion to remain uncomplicated and uncontaminated by the complexities of love, such as possessiveness, sacrifice, or expectation. Without the influence of love, passion can be seen as more intense or focused, without the encumbrance of deeper emotional connections that might alter or dilute its force.
Mishima’s statement reflects his broader examination of human emotions, particularly the relationship between love, desire, and passion. He often explored how romantic love can complicate or interfere with the raw energy of passion, transforming it into something more complex and layered. In contrast, the absence of love allows passion to be experienced in its most direct and unfiltered form. Mishima’s view here is more existential, suggesting that the purity of passion may be found when one is not emotionally tied to the object of that passion, but instead acts from a place of freedom and individual desire.
In a modern context, Mishima’s perspective challenges contemporary ideas about romantic love, where love is often idealized as the ultimate source of passion and emotional fulfillment. Mishima invites us to reconsider the connection between passion and love, and whether a disinterested or detached form of passion can sometimes lead to a more authentic or unadulterated experience. In a world where romantic relationships are frequently entwined with emotional expectations, his quote encourages reflection on whether true passion can exist independently from love and if it can, perhaps, be freer and more uncompromised.
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