The trouble with love is that you can’t buy it. You can buy sex. You can buy…
The trouble with love is that you can’t buy it. You can buy sex. You can buy testimonial dinners. You can buy pamphlets that say how wonderful you are. But the only way to get love is to be lovable.
Love can't be bought, only earned, and the way to earn it is to become someone worth loving. Buffett lists the things money can get: sex, flattering dinners, even printed praise. All of them imitate affection or admiration without producing the real thing. Real love is freely given by another person, so it can't be purchased, only invited by the kind of person you are.
The idea echoes an old strand of moral thought, going back to Aristotle's distinction between friendships built on usefulness or pleasure and those built on good character. It also fits Buffett's habit of treating integrity and reputation as the lasting measures of a life, not wealth. The line is widely attributed to him, though I can't point to a definitive original source.
Today, someone might notice they keep trying to win people over with gifts, favors, or an impressive image. Instead, they could put that effort into being reliable, honest, and attentive: showing up when they said they would, admitting mistakes, and listening without waiting for their turn to talk. It's slower than buying affection, but it's the only version that lasts.