“Understanding is Love’s other name.”

What is true love?

Thich Nhat Hanh, a global spiritual master, once said, ‘understanding is love’s other name.’

Achieving true love and true understanding is far more difficult than it sounds. 

 

You may love your parents, yet you resist understanding their expectations or resent the pressures they place upon you.

 

For example:  

• When you reach marriageable age, they may urge you to quickly find a good partner, imposing certain standards for your future spouse.  
  
• Once you have a stable relationship, they fret over your unmarried status.  
  
• After you marry, they long for grandchildren. 
  

Do their hopes and demands leave you frustrated or disheartened?

 

Consider this:  
Their persistence stems from love—anxiety for your future manifests as nagging or seemingly unreasonable requests. Their behavior may be inherited from previous generations, subconsciously shaped by traditional values that clash with modern perspectives, creating mutual misunderstanding.  

The same applies to romantic relationships:

•  If you resent a partner’s "rigidity," they may simply crave stability and comfort.
  
• If they seem emotionally reserved, they might fear your judgment and the lack of your support.  
  

As Thích Nhất Hạnh taught: When you truly love someone, you strive to see the world through their eyes—to understand their pain and perspective. This understanding births compassion, freeing us from judgment.  

 

Understanding allows us to empathize. By nurturing understanding and compassion, we will be able to love and to be loved.

 

If you wish to truly love somebody, never forget to understand—deeply and wholeheartedly.