"I fell in love. It felt exactly like a fall, a head-over-heels tumble into a state of unbearable lightness. The earth tilted on its axis." This vivid description captures the intense and disorienting experience of falling in love, emphasizing its power to disrupt normal perceptions and feelings. The author initially dismisses romantic love as merely a human invention, created by poets, and not a genuine force.
"I was as unprepared for love as I had been for goodness and beauty. Suddenly, my heart seemed swollen, too large for my chest." Here, the writer reflects on how love unexpectedly overwhelmed him, much like other profound human pursuits such as goodness and beauty. The passage highlights the surprising and transformative nature of love, which can leave us feeling unready and overwhelmed by its intensity.