Though ordi­na­ry ter­ro­rists may occa­sio­nal­ly force con­ces­si­ons from govern­ments by blo­wing up buil­dings or school­child­ren, roman­tic ter­ro­rists are doo­med to dis­ap­point­ment becau­se of a fun­da­men­tal incon­sis­ten­cy in their approach. You must love me, says the roman­tic ter­ro­rist; I will force you to love me by sul­king at you or making you feel jea­lous. But then comes the para­dox, for if love is retur­ned, it is at once con­side­red tain­ted, and the roman­tic ter­ro­rist must com­plain, If I have only forced you to love me, then I can­not accept this love, for it was not spon­ta­neous­ly given. Roman­tic ter­ro­rism is a demand that nega­tes its­elf in the pro­cess of its resolution.
(Alain de Bot­ton – On Love)