Love has no power. Love is the willingness not to have power. Love is when you choose not to impose your own preferences on the choices being made by someone else.

We hear that “love brings people together.” No, people bring people together. Sometimes they choose to love. It doesn’t happen by accident. It requires a choice. You’re building something that wasn’t there before. Love is a geometrical construction in interpersonal space, like ikebana. People move toward love – arrange love – make love – if they wish. There is no “power of love,” just as there is no “power of triangles.” It can’t tell you what to do. It can’t even make suggestions.

I’m not saying that love is not beautiful. Love is the beautifullest thing ever. And one of the ways in which it is beautiful is that it is not a form of power. You can’t manipulate people with love! Love is when you don’t manipulate them.

Love can’t even untie the knots in your heart. You untie the knots yourself – then, if you choose to, you love.