I've decided that it's possible to love someone for entirely selfless reasons, for all of their flaws and weaknesses, and still not succeed in having them love you back. It's sad, perhaps, but not tragic, unless you dwell forever in the pursuit of their elusive affections.

Cammie McGovern
About This Quote

We all like to believe that we can change the behavior of people we love. We want to believe that we can make them happy, and if we can’t, we want to think that they’ll eventually change and see the error of their ways and come back to us. That’s why we fall in love: because we want to believe that someone else will change them for the better. What Nelson Mandela meant by it not being tragic, unless you dwell forever in the pursuit of their elusive affections is that there is a difference between loving someone and changing them.

You can love someone and be happy watching them continue to hurt themselves, or you can love someone and accept their flaws. You can spend your life trying to make them happy, but you need never be sad because they will never be truly happy.

Source: Say What You Will

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