To serve all, but love only one

“The motto of chivalry is also the motto of wisdom; to serve all, but love only one.”
Honore de Balzac

This quote inspired my day yesterday. In trying to understand it, I first thought this was a love quote, one pertaining to the knights only loving the lady of their hearts, but behaving in a knightly manner with all others (kinda the “Lady in distress – let’s help” style). But how could this be the motto of wisdom as well? Whom does wisdom love, whom does wisdom serve, other than the intellectual needs of the narcissistic self? And above all, should we go for the mystical interpretation, does wisdom really love God – as might be implied?

Maybe this is what is meant through “love only one”. That wisdom has the kindness to share, to give away – be it knowledge, or compassion, or understanding, or help when it is needed. But, like us all, it needs strength to hold on to. This can be faith, or love, or a person… a guiding light towards which we strive. It also means to be loyal to a purpose – or to that one person or concept we behold as the centre of our ambitions.

But how many of us really live this way?

And this is where I find
Rays of dust that wrap around your citizen
Kind enough to disavow
And this is where I stand
(RHCP, Stadium Arcadium)