How do you know if you really love someone? Is it true love or mere attraction you feel?
What is the difference between “I love you” and “I like you”?
Many thought they have already found the love of a lifetime only to end up with so many tears. There are some who say they do not believe in love anymore because of painful relationship experiences. So, how do you recognize love?
Take a look at these 21 differences between love and like. Evaluate what you feel for someone with these:
#1.
Like: Skin-deep.
If you have fallen for the person because of his/her tantalizing eyes, beach body, or alluring tan, then you call that attraction.
Love: Goes beyond the physical appearance.
Love does not look at the physical characteristics of a person. Although many love stories started with physical attraction, what led them to love is knowing each other on a deeper level.
#2.
Like: You are thrilled to be with the person.
You are excited to be with the person. You feel like you are the luckiest man/woman in the world because s/he is near you.
Love: You find genuine happiness when you are with him/her.
It is more than excitement. You experience unexplainable joy and peace brought by the person’s presence. It feels like you are home.
#3.
Like: You get self-conscious when the person is around.
Your behavior changes suddenly when s/he arrives. You run to the restroom to check yourself in the mirror. You should be impressive.
Love: You want to be true to yourself when you are with the person.
You want the person to see who you really are for the hope that s/he will accept you despite your flaws. You do not want to deceive him/her.
#4.
Like: It happens overnight.
You feel you have been swept off your feet the moment your eyes met. It could be love at first sight or a few hours of knowing the person made you realize s/he is the one.
Love: It takes time.
Usually, you cannot keep track of when it started. You have been around each other for quite some time, maybe as friends or colleagues, and the more you hang out together, the more you get attached unsuspectedly.
#5.
Like: You pretend to be interested in what the person says.
You want to make the person feel that you really care about his/her thoughts, but the truth is you barely hear what s/he says because you are pre-occupied with how cute the person is. You are also busy thinking how you can impress him/her.
Love: You sincerely want to listen to the person.
You listen to what the person has to say because you want to understand him/her better. Moreover, you hope you can help in case there is a problem. You do not take advantage of the situation to impress.
#6.
Like: It is emotion-based.
You linger around while that giddy, ecstatic feeling about the person lasts. When your heart does not beat fast seeing him/her anymore, you say it is over.
Love: It is decision-based.
It is your decision to stay with the person, care for him/her, and accept his/her imperfections, whether there is still magic in the air or not.
#7.
Like: You are proud to be seen with the person.
You want to flaunt that this person is with you, especially if s/he is good looking because you want other girls/guys to envy you.
Love: You are proud of the person.
You do not care about the credentials of the person, whether others consider him/her a good catch or not. You are proud to be with the person simply because you love him/her.
#8.
Like: You want to be the best so s/he will notice you.
You dress up, put your best foot forward because you want to catch his/her eyes.
Love: You are inspired to be the best of yourself because s/he deserves the best.
You want to be the best in every area, not just physically, because you want to be worthy of him/her.
#9.
Like: You get turned off.
Once you see his/her awful or embarrassing side, you come back to earth from cloud 9 and realize you do not like him/her anymore.
Love: You accept every flaw of the person.
Even if you see how bad s/he can be, you decide to stay and continue to believe in the person’s goodness.
#10.
Like: The person is perfect in your eyes.
For you, everything about him/her is flawless.
Love: You are not blind to his/her imperfection.
As the saying goes, “Love is not blind. It does see but it does not mind.”
#11.
Like: You see the person in your dreams.
Since you think about the person all day, it is not surprising that you find him/her even in your dreams.
Love: You see the person in your future.
You can envision building a home with that person because you have decided that s/he is the one for you.
#12.
Like: You get head over heels with the person.
It is like a spell that stops you from resisting him/her. If s/he would ask you to, you would willingly leave everything behind. You cannot accept bad comments about the person, and you do not listen to advice.
Love: You regard the person levelheadedly.
You are able to make sound judgments when it involves the person or your relationship. You can weigh decisions using your brain, not just your heart.
#13.
Like: You tolerate his/her mistakes.
You do not want to disappoint him/her, so you tolerate everything s/he does even those that are not good like vices. What matters to you is his/her approval, not yours.
Love: You rebuke him/her.
It does not matter if s/he gets mad at you. What is important is his/her well-being.
#14.
Like: It fades the more you get close.
As you get to know the person more, the mystery and thrill start to wear off, and so does your feeling.
Love: It grows the more you get close.
The more you get to know him/her, the more you realize that you really want to be with him/her.
#15.
Like: You want the person to take care of you.
You pretend to be helpless in hope that s/he would volunteer to help and care for you.
Love: You want to take care of the person.
It does not matter if s/he returns the favor as long as you get to make sure s/he is alright.
#16.
Like: You want to be the center of his/her attention.
You get mad whenever s/he finds someone else attractive or s/he spends more time with other people.
Love: S/he is the center of your attention.
Even when there are better and more attractive people around, your eyes and focus are still on him/her.
#17.
Like: It lasts as long as the person is around.
Whenever you do not see him/her, it is easy to turn your attention to someone else.
Love: It endures distance and time.
True love endures long distance and you are willing to wait.
#18.
Like: Meeting his/her family is not a big deal.
Usually, meeting his/her family does not even occur to your mind.
Love: Meeting his/her family is important to you.
You bravely want to face his/her family because you are hoping you will be one of them someday.
#19.
Like: You are possessive of the person.
You get jealous when someone else gets close to him/her. S/he should be solely yours, so back off.
Love: You understand that you do not own him/her.
You treat him/her as a free individual. His/her happiness matters more to you.
#20.
Like: You desire to make love to the person.
Because it is more of physical attraction, there is a strong urge to have sexual intimacy with the person.
Love: Spending quality time with the person is more than enough.
You can still say you love him/her and stay around even without sex involved in the relationship.
#21.
Like: It is easy to move on.
Once the relationship is over, it does not take a long time to get over it. You do not feel too miserable as well.
Love: It takes a long time to forget him/her.
The person will always have a special place in your heart even after a long time.
