Loving someone vs being 'in love'

[Spacey]

Just wondering about some of your thoughts on the difference between loving someone and being 'in love' with them.

 

Do you think that 'in love' phase eventually passes into simply 'love'? To me, being 'in love' has a lot to do with being physically attracted and excited by that person, along with the emotional connection.

 

If you 'love' someone, are comfortable in the relationship, but get no excitement, is that enough for life?

[Sally00]

Well, I loved my first boyfriend... but I wasn't IN LOVE with him.

He was GREAT to be around and made me laugh and loved me for who I was.

But I didn't see a future with him... He was going to a college thousands of miles away and it seemed like our lives were going in different directions.

And I guess I just didn't feel it as much as I should have.

But now we're still great friends. So it's all good.

 

I have a boyfriend and we're in love.

I don't believe that the "in love" phase passes into simply "love."

I think once we're in love, we stay that way... it just may not be as strong as it was when it was first professed though. But the strong loving feeling is still there.

I've been with my boyfriend for 6 months... so we're still as excited as we were when we first started dating. So I can't really answer the "is it enough for life" question. Gimme 6 more months to a year to answer that question lol.

[Relationship Coach]

I "love" my parents and my children but I am "in love" with my wife.

 

RC

[hosswhispra]

Love my family....

 

Never been "in love"

[Momene]

I think the intensity of it does decrease over the years but the tender moments are still as tender as when you first met.

 

Taking each other for granted has always been said to be a red flag but I think there's times you need to be able to, such as during illness or stress. If you're doing it 24/7 that's wrong though.

[shelbymustang_fan]

I would think that being "in love" is obviously the term associated with a person's significant other.

 

When you "Love" someone: Well, thats surely a loaded word. Obviously you love your family, and hopefully your significant other as well. In my opinion, "Love" means everything.....(in my opinion)......

 

......It means: (1) Anything you love will ALWAYS take #1 priority in your life, regardless of whatever else is going on. (2) Love is an unconditional, and un-touchable bond that can withstand any outside force that may try to come between two people. (3) To love somebody, you would also have to be willing to protect them, no matter what the consequences may be...example: take a bullet for them. And (4), Love should always prevail.

 

This is my viewpoint on "Love" It also means soo much more...Like I said, it is a very loaded word.

[Spacey]

I would think that being "in love" is obviously the term associated with a person's significant other.

 

When you "Love" someone: Well, thats surely a loaded word. Obviously you love your family, and hopefully your significant other as well. In my opinion, "Love" means everything.....(in my opinion)......

 

......It means: (1) Anything you love will ALWAYS take #1 priority in your life, regardless of whatever else is going on. (2) Love is an unconditional, and un-touchable bond that can withstand any outside force that may try to come between two people. (3) To love somebody, you would also have to be willing to protect them, no matter what the consequences may be...example: take a bullet for them. And (4), Love should always prevail.

 

This is my viewpoint on "Love" It also means soo much more...Like I said, it is a very loaded word.

 

 

That's an interesting way to put it. I suppose I'm more looking within the confines of a relationship. You 'love' someone like you love your family, so all those points apply, however isn't being 'in love' somehow beyond that?

 

Does being 'in love' mean that you love the person like your family, the difference being you have sex with them? Or does it mean you want them physically, you almost crave them, put them so clearly above and beyond all other people you 'love' in the world? What's the real difference?