Quote of the Day: Lord Alfred Douglas on Love

There is a specific kind of relief that arrives when you stop negotiating with your own heart, when you feel the urge to withhold, to stay “safe,” and instead you choose the brave, uncomplicated next move: a sincere apology, a generous interpretation, a text that says, I’m here. In that moment, you don’t become naïve; you become whole. It’s the kind of clarity that turns life from defensive to directional, summed up in one stubborn line: “I believe in love, always.”

Belief is not a mood. It’s a stance you take when evidence is mixed and the outcome is uncertain. To “believe in love” is to decide that connection is worth practicing even when it’s inconvenient, especially when your pride has a compelling case. This isn’t the sugary version of love; it’s the disciplined version. It’s choosing courage when you could choose distance. It’s offering kindness without requiring a guarantee.

And “always” is the part that removes the escape hatches. It doesn’t mean staying in what harms you; it means refusing to let pain turn you into a person who can’t care. Love can be a principle: tell the truth cleanly, set boundaries without contempt, assume the best until you must revise. When love gets costly, we tend to protect ourselves by becoming smaller. “Always” invites the opposite: stay open, stay honest, stay human, without surrendering your self-respect.

Lord Alfred Douglas carved his name into literary history as a poet with a fierce devotion to beauty and feeling, writing from the pressure points where desire, morality, and public judgment collide. Whatever his contradictions, he understood that love is not neutral; it’s a choice you make under scrutiny.

On January 20, when leadership is often sworn in and the world watches promises become public, let this be your private oath: practice love in one concrete way today, send the message you’ve delayed, forgive one small offense, or speak one hard truth with gentleness. May your “always” be steady, and may it make you brave.