Alain De Botton

But think of Jesus' idea, the Christian idea.

I speak to you as a secular Jew.

Jesus' idea that a true love means that you could love anybody.

And we're so nowadays focused on the idea of finding the right person to love.

It's like, I'm really good at love, but I need the right person.

But Christianity says something else, something more interesting.

It basically says...

If you know about love, you could love anyone, even like a leper.

So imagine you're on Tinder and like you're swiping left and right in the search for the perfect person.

And suddenly there is a leper with like half an arm and an eye dangling out.

And, you know, the Christian command would be love that person.

See what you can do with that person.

And I think if you can do that or even a bit of that,

you're starting to understand what love is.

And that gives you the sense of the real ambition behind the act of love.

Well, you know, I think... Look, I forgive Tolstoy a lot, but obviously it would be pretty tough to be his wife.

Yes, very tough.

Very tough.

And, you know, look, at least he had the theory right.

The practice was another thing.