So, Go Love

SONYA: Mikhail Lvovich. I’m…I’m just curious about something. If I had a friend, or a, or a…younger sister, and you found out she…let’s say that she…that she loves you. Loved you. How would you react?

ASTROV: I don’t know. I guess I would try to help her understand that I couldn’t love her back…and I’d tell her I’m not interested in that kind of thing anymore. –Uncle Vanya by Anton Chekhov (Annie Baker adaptation) 

“I have found that if you love life, life will love you back.” -Arthur Rubinstein

“And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.” song “The End” by The Beatles

Perhaps all human desires can be summed up in these two:

(1) The desire to love.

(2) The desire to be loved.

When either or both of these desires are missing, we seek fulfillment in other ways (e.g. buying stuff), which never satisfy, and so trouble ensues. 

(Side note for the actor: If you’re struggling to find a super objective for your character, you can’t go wrong with picking one of the above two.)

We can’t control being loved. (Though Christianity and some other religions teach that God does love us, no matter what.)

But we can control giving love. And as Paul McCartney, John Of The Cross, The Buddha and many others have advised over the years…When you give love, you’ll find love.

So, go love.