Story
Somerset Maugham’s mother was an extraordinarily beautiful woman married to a man widely considered ugly. When a friend asked how…
Family · Formation · Love
Story
Motion Resulted in Emotion
George Crane / J. Allan Petersen
A wife came to a counselor full of hatred, wanting to hurt her husband before divorcing him. The counselor suggested she act for a time as if she truly loved him—praise, kindness, generosity—then announce the divorce for maximum impact. She agreed with enthusiasm. After two months of sustained loving action she returned and said she no longer wanted the divorce. She had discovered she really did love him. The actions had changed the feelings. Motion resulted in emotion. Love is established less by fervent promise than by repeated deeds.
How you’d preach it
Powerful for marriage or any relationship where feelings have cooled. Action can precede and reshape feeling.
- Love
- Family
- Generosity
Petersen