What's striking here is the asymmetry Lao Tzu identifies—love operates on us in fundamentally different ways depending on which side of it we inhabit. Being loved is something that *happens to us*, a gift that fortifies us passively, while loving is something we *do*, an act of will that demands we become braver than we naturally are. A parent sitting vigil through a child's illness finds reserves of courage they didn't know existed, not because they feel secure, but because they've chosen to care more about another person's survival than their own comfort. This distinction matters because it means we're never helpless in love's economy—even without receiving love, we can generate our own courage simply by deciding to love deeply.