Diotima responds once more that not everything has to be one or the other. Love is neither mortal nor eternal; it is a spirit that exists midway between godhood and humanity. It is what joins together both heaven and earth. As such, love is capable of bringing mortals and gods together. This is why Zeus, who has many lovers among humans, finds it necessary to have Diotima tell him that he too can enjoy the pleasures of love. Only a god could be unaffected by such worldly desires as love brings about! Diotima also says that love is a desire that makes us want to give pleasure to the one we love. It is the force that keeps marriages together over time and even heals old wounds. In conclusion, love is the power that connects heaven and earth, heaven with heaven, and human beings with each other. It is a great force but also a fickle one, capable of turning our hearts into stones and destroying them forever. We must learn to respect this power and protect those we love, for without love there is no happiness.