Great love causes great sorrow.
Great love causes great sorrow.
Meaning in plain English
Great love causing great sorrow links deep attachment with the possibility of painful loss or difficulty. The saying recognises vulnerability in caring.
Example
Someone supports a grieving friend without comparing the depth of their feelings or calling pain proof of love.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The sentence is not a rule that every strong relationship must cause harm or that suffering proves love. A responsible reading allows joy, boundaries and support. It should not encourage endurance of mistreatment or make a person’s grief a measurement of how much they cared.
When to use it
Use it as a perspective on attachment and vulnerability, not a test of love.
Keep in mind
No necessary harm, proof of love through suffering or required grief intensity is established.
Edsverb editorial interpretation · agent reviewed · 2026-10-05. This explains the saying; it does not establish its historical origin.
- Country attributed by the collection
France · source-attributed; earliest origin unverified
- Source
- Contributor-provided wisdom reference
Supplied reference B; unit 772; PDF page 70; collection label: France
Reuse and collection notes ↗ - Attribution confidence
- traditional · supplied collection
Preserved as printed; independently unverified. - Historical coordinate
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No reliable date supplied by the collection. - Rights & edition
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