"Whoever loves above all the approach of love will never know the joy of attaining it"

True joy in love arises from fully experiencing its fulfillment, rather than endlessly savoring the anticipation or pursuit. Antoine de Saint-Exupery's words invite reflection on the difference between yearning for romantic attainment itself and valuing the perpetual promise of affection. When someone cherishes the mere approach of love, the chase, the uncertainty, the delicious tension before closeness, there is a risk of remaining suspended within perpetual longing, never advancing beyond longing’s edge. The attraction lies in love being just out of reach, a possibility rather than a reality.

Such an attitude can manifest as a fixation on beginnings, infatuated with the spark and flutter of new emotions but reluctant to cross over into the vulnerability of real intimacy. The anticipation of love brings its own sweet ache; it’s exhilarating and safe at the same time, for there is little at stake and nothing yet to lose. By clinging to this, a person avoids the surrender, commitment, and possible pain that true love demands. They may become more enamored with the idea of loving than the realities of partnership: compromise, comfort, understanding, and shared experience.

Saint-Exupery’s observation hints that fulfillment comes when we move beyond desire’s threshold and step into the fullness of love, brave enough to accept its risks and joys. Attainment refers not only to possession, but to encountering the depths of affection, connection, and, consequently, happiness. The “joy” referenced is born not from perpetual wanting, but from the surrender and satisfaction of loving in actuality, allowing love to transform longing into presence.

Love’s approach, with its promise and potential, may intoxicate and inspire, but the truest joy is reserved for those who allow themselves not just to approach love, but also to dwell within it, risking heart and self for the possibility of something enduring and real.