You have what I can afford to give. You are a panhandler, begging for anything, and I am the man walking briskly by, tossing a quarter or so into your paper cup. I can afford to give you this. This does not break me.

Dave Eggers
About This Quote

This is a quote about the difference between the two kinds of love: the love we give and the love we receive. The first kind of love is what we give to those we care about, and the second kind of love is what we receive from those we care about. In this quote, the man is saying that he has given her what he can afford to give. He says that he does not have a lot of money, but he has given her at least a little bit.

In this sense, he explains that he is not broken by the fact that she has nothing. He has found a way to be happy with these circumstances.

Source: A Heartbreaking Work Of Staggering Genius

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