One cannot love and be wise

Meaning

The idiom "one cannot love and be wise" means that it is impossible to both have strong romantic feelings for someone and be objective or rational about them at the same time. It suggests that when a person is in love, they tend to overlook negative traits of their lover and make excuses for their behavior.

Usage

• I know you're madly in love with him, but can't you see how selfish he can be sometimes?
• When my best friend started dating her boyfriend, I couldn't help but feel like she was blinded by love and couldn't be wise enough to see his flaws.
• It's important to be wise about your choices when it comes to relationships, because loving someone doesn't always mean you have to approve of everything they do.
• I think if we were to become more objective and less in love with our decisions, we might make better choices in the long run.
• Don't let your emotions cloud your judgment when it comes to choosing a partner; sometimes, being wise means knowing what you want and where to draw the line.

Roots and History

The idiom "one cannot love and be wise" has its roots in ancient Greek mythology. The character of Cassandra was a prophetess who predicted the downfall of Troy, but was cursed by Aphrodite to never be believed. Her curse caused her to suffer from both love and wisdom, as she was constantly plagued by conflicting emotions and desires. Over time, the idiom has been used in various cultures and languages to express similar ideas. In French, the expression "aimer et ne pas voir" means "to love and not see" and is used to describe a situation where a person's love blinds them to reality.

Synonyms in English

• You can't have your cake and eat it too.
• You can't judge a book by its cover.
• Don't put all your eggs in one basket.
• Look before you leap.
• See with your eyes, not with your heart.

Synonyms in other languages

• In Spanish, "no puedes comer tu pan y comer tu queso" means "you can't eat your bread and have your cheese too."
• In Italian, "non vivere da stella che si accorge quando la sera cadde" means "not to live like a star that realizes when the night has fallen."
• In Japanese, "愛も知らない" means "to love without knowing."
• In German, "lieben und wissen nicht" means "to love and not know."
• In Russian, "любить и не видеть" means "to love and not see."

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