"True love is eternal, infinite, and always like itself. It is equal and pure, without violent demonstrations: it is seen with white hairs and is always young in the heart"

Among the myriad contemplations on love, Honoré de Balzac’s words invite a profound meditation on the nature of lasting affection. He characterizes true love as something that transcends temporal limitations, limitless and consistent through all stages of life. By describing it as “eternal” and “infinite,” love becomes a force unbound by years or mortality, a quiet current present and unfading regardless of external change. The phrase “always like itself” suggests an unwavering constancy; true love does not oscillate with the circumstances or burn brightly only in convenient seasons. Instead, it remains steadfast, ever reliable.

Balzac further identifies qualities essential to this love, describing it as “equal and pure.” There is an inherent balance in genuine affection, a partnership where neither dominates or recedes, but both thrive in mutual respect. Its purity lies in its intentions, a love free from selfishness, manipulation, or ulterior motives. The absence of “violent demonstrations” implies that true love requires neither grand gestures nor dramatic proofs; it is content, sustaining itself with quiet assurance rather than noisy declarations or tumultuous passion.

Importantly, love is depicted as enduring, as “seen with white hairs and always young in the heart.” Here, Balzac brings forth the paradox of love that grows through life’s seasons: physical age may manifest in white hair and aging bodies, but the core of love retains a youthful freshness. The heart, untouched by the passage of time, carries the same exuberance, tenderness, and openness as when first kindled. Thus, authentic love never grows weary or stale; rather, it remains vibrant, adapting to changing circumstances while holding steadfast in feeling.

Through these words, Balzac presents an ideal of love that survives the vagaries of life, one whose beauty lies not in fleeting excitement, but in lasting devotion and inner renewal, showing that the truest affection is both ageless and everlastingly new.