Who said “Love is an ideal thing, marriage a real thing; a confusion of the real with the ideal…”?

Disputed

It's credited to Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe, but no reliable source from their lifetime has been found.

What the research foundNo reliable early source found for Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe.

Evidence: Wikiquote · How we check

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“Love is an ideal thing, marriage a real thing; a confusion of the real with the ideal never goes unpunished.”
— Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
DisputedNo reliable early source found for Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe. · evidenceLove

Cite this quote

APA

“Love is an ideal thing, marriage a real thing; a confusion of the real with the ideal never goes unpunished.” [Quotation attributed to Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe]. (n.d.). Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/27348-love-is-an-ideal-thing-marriage-a-real/

MLA

“Love is an ideal thing, marriage a real thing; a confusion of the real with the ideal never goes unpunished.” Attributed to Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe. Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/27348-love-is-an-ideal-thing-marriage-a-real/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

“Love is an ideal thing, marriage a real thing; a confusion of the real with the ideal never goes unpunished.” Attributed to Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe. Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/27348-love-is-an-ideal-thing-marriage-a-real/.

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