"just to love, and be loved in return"

Vincent van Gogh supposedly said:

The way to know life is to love many things.

To me, this is easily one of the most beautiful thoughts ever had.

The way to know life is to love many things.
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But it is my guess that he was lonely when he spoke these words.

The way to know life is to love many things?
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The way to know life is just to love.