What is there to say about love that hasn't already been said? We've been talking about it since the beginning of time, but oddly enough, there are still people who just seem to get it. Whether it's the tone, or the way they arrange the words, there are writers and creators out there providing validation en masse to people who feel like they're alone or like they're the only person who feels the way that they feel.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as a series, was already excellent at putting words and actions to the most seemingly inexplicable feelings and experiences. Love, of course, is no exception. Through its unique characters, Buffy captures the many aspects of love — the good andthe bad — in easy-to-quote moments.
Take a second to think about them. Read them aloud if it helps. Above all else, please understand that you're not alone. Love is complicated and beautiful and awesome and tragic and painful and the best thing ever, all at the same time (even though that doesn't mean we can't live with or process it).
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And while this warning is about a decade too old to use I'm going to use it anyway: possible spoilers! Relevant if you're planning on watching the series.
1. On shyness:
"Seize the moment, ‘cause tomorrow you might be dead."
2. On fighting through the tough times:
"Strong is fighting. It’s hard and it’s painful and it’s every day. It’s what we have to do, and we can do it together, but if you’re too much of a coward for that, then burn."
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3. When you say you're "just friends" with someone you totally love:
"You’re not friends. You’ll never be friends. Love isn’t brains, children, it’s blood. Blood screaming inside you to work its will. I may be love’s bitch, but at least I’m man enough to admit it."
4. On how to tell someone you love them in the best way possible:
"When I say ‘I love you,’ it’s not because I want you or because I can’t have you. It has nothing to do with me. I love what you are, what you do, how you try. I’ve seen your kindness and your strength. I’ve seen the best and worst of you. And I understand with perfect clarity exactly what you are."
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5. When you're swimming in breakup feels:
"I’m just gonna go home, lie down, and listen to country music. The music of pain."
6. On remembering the distinction between "feelings" and "love:"
"I have feelings for you. I do. But it's not love. I could never trust you enough for it to be love."
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7. On the truth about love (sometimes):
"People don’t fall in love with what’s right in front of them. People want the dream — what they can’t have. The more unattainable, the more attractive."
8. More truth!
"Weird love's better than no love."
9. On love without trust:
Spike:"Trust is for old marrieds, Buffy. Great love is wild and passionate and dangerous. It burns and consumes."
Buffy: "Until there's nothing left. Love like that doesn't last."
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10. On passion:
"Passion…it lies in all of us. Sleeping, waiting, and though unwanted, unbidden, it will stir, open its jaws, and howl. It speaks to us, guides us...passion rules us all. And we obey. What other choice do we have? Passion is the source of our finest moments; the joy of love, the clarity of hatred, and the ecstasy of grief. It hurts sometimes more than we can bear. If we could live without passion, maybe we’d truly know some kind of peace. But we would be hollow. Empty rooms, shuttered and dank...without passion, we’d truly be dead."
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Do you have any favorite Buffy quotes or moments? Let us know in the comments and on Twitter!
