The real sting here is that we often measure our worth by our capacity to give—our generosity, our effort, our emotional labor—when the world actually appraises us by what we've managed to *receive* from others. It's a humble correction to the romantic notion that loving deeply is enough; it suggests that love, like any relationship, requires reciprocity to count. When a friend finally admits they've felt taken for granted despite years of showing up for someone who never quite shows up for them, they're living this truth—their heart's value wasn't determined by their faithfulness, but by how little was offered back.