proverb · Legacy record
A life with love is happy; a life for love is foolish.
A life with love is happy; a life for love is foolish.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Life with love praised and life for love condemned distinguish affection as part of life from making it the whole purpose. The saying values a broader balance.
What the words are saying
Happy and foolish are broad judgments rather than guaranteed experiences. A responsible interpretation can examine whether one pursuit displaces other needs without ranking lives or prescribing a single relationship pattern. Strong devotion is not itself evidence of poor judgment, and agency and consent remain relevant.
Everyday example
Someone considers how a relationship fits alongside other meaningful needs and responsibilities.
When to use it
Use it critically to discuss balance without a universal life formula.
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What it does not mean
No guaranteed happiness or justified personal insult from a life’s priorities is established.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
China
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin.- Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- Contributor-provided wisdom reference (2014 AD)
Supplied reference B; unit 288; PDF page 31; collection label: China
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- China