Opinions Please!

TheHorribleBlob

Is there a difference between loving someone and being in love with someone? A friend of mine thinks there is no difference. What do you guys think?

goldenboy2532

I say Yes. For instance, I love my Mom (RIP) and my Dad; however, I am not in love with them.

I love my mother in law; however, I am in love with her daughter.
I would take a bullet for either because I love both; however, I only live for one of them.

dad106

I'd say there is a difference.

To me, being in love with someone, is superficial. You like the idea of being with them, but you could be without them if you had to. Your not as willing to compromise and work through things.

Loving someone means that you accept them as is.. flaws and all. You don't let anything get in the way of your relationship, and there is a deeper level of trust and acceptance.

Kpablo

I say no. In love and loving someone is the same thing. Their are different varieties of love though. I have parental love of my daughter, but I have intimate and romantic love of my partner. I'm in love with both of them, but my love for each is a different type of love.

ETA: typos & grammer

mank32

'love' = 'i want you to be happy'
'in love' = 'i want you to be happy WITH ME' (doinking is usually involved here)

simple

diodelcibo

Lust.

wolverine66

I say no. In love and loving someone is the same thing. Their are different varieties of love though. I have parental love of my daughter, but I have intimate and romantic love of my partner. I'm in love with both of them, but my love for each is a different type of love.

ETA: typos & grammer

i think the phrasing (love vs. in love) is a way to distinguish between the varieties of which you speak.

UsedToBeHusky

Being in love is usually what people refer to as "romantic love". Romantic love can grow into something deeper or just fade entirely. Usually if you "love" someone, you have already formed a deeper love.

The two things are different, but related.

alisha_1983

There is a difference!

U can love ur distant family that u only see a couple times a year... But u r not necessarily IN love with them! When u are IN love with someone, u think of them every day and are always wishing u could be together!

myofibril

Loving someone: agape
Being in love with someone: eros

Mother_Superior

Love is a ridiculously broad term.


I think that what is usually meant by "in love" is a combination of love and lust. That's how I see the difference anyway.

EmilyOfTheSun

I love a lot of my friends. I'm not in love with them.

Rosplosion

When I hear the phrase "in love" I think, of fairy tale, hopelessly devoted to you type of wanna bone you thing.



For example, I love my mom. I am NOT in love with my mom. Right? I love my friends. I do NOT want to boink them....well some I do, OK bad example. The first one still works.

1ConcreteGirl

I dunno, are you in love with your mom?

UsedToBeHusky

Also... people do use the expression "in love" for things other than romantic love.

People say they are "in love" with their newborns, "in love" with chocolate, or "in love" with a famous celebrity (whom they never met), but they really don't mean the romantic-type of "in love".

MerdiJune

Yeah, there's a difference. There were ex-boyfriends that I loved, but I wasn't in love with them, so a romantic relationship didn't work. My current boyfriend, I love him, AND I am deeply in love with him. "In love" is a romantic thing, whereas love can be friendship, family, etc. I think the ideal relationship involves loving the person, and being in love with them.

Rosplosion

I dunno, are you in love with your mom?

I'm in love with YOUR mom.

bearkisses

i don't think there is a difference personally!

_SusieQ_

Definitely.

I love my husband.

I'm IN LOVE with my boyfriend...and half the girls on my FL

:bigsmile:

edge_dragoncaller

Add "in" before the word love, and it suddenly takes on the meaning of a romantic love and makes any other use of "in love" friggin creepy.

The use of "in" before the word love is also a way for people to break up and soften the blow. "Oh...I'll alwasy love you, but i'm no longer in love with you." A better way to say that is, "I don't love you anymore but I dont' hate you and I don't want you to hate me either. We will never bone again."

In reality, it's all semantics and how you interpret the words. My ex used to get pissy when I said "I love you too." because the addtion of ''too'' cheapened the words by making it into just a reply.

Legs_McGee

'love' = 'i want you to be happy'
'in love' = 'i want you to be happy WITH ME' (doinking is usually involved here)

simple

This. Although doinking should ALWAYS be involved.

silvergurl518

Definitely.

I love my husband.

I'm IN LOVE with my boyfriend...and half the girls on my FL

:bigsmile:

hehehe. I LOVE lamp. .

i found out with one of my exes that i only loved him; was not IN LOVE with him. that relationship? it took a one way ticket out of here.

i second the sentiment that LOVE = the wanting of happiness for someone; IN LOVE = wanting happiness for someone as a direct result of boinking. that *was* the sentiment, right?

hOw2lozeAgiN10dAze

Loving someone: agape
Being in love with someone: eros

^^^ What he said.

m0jk

its not the old.. i love you but im not in love with you excuse for dumping someone again i always wonder if that translates to ' im in love with someone else so your history or optional until someone else comes along' :P

Yes there's a difference like mistaking in lust for in love too.

hope this helps

harvo

When I hear the phrase "in love" I think, of fairy tale, hopelessly devoted to you type of wanna bone you thing.



For example, I love my mom. I am NOT in love with my mom. Right? I love my friends. I do NOT want to boink them....well some I do, OK bad example. The first one still works.

Always looking for friends like you.... :bigsmile:

JustME1611

'love' = 'i want you to be happy'
'in love' = 'i want you to be happy WITH ME' (doinking is usually involved here)

simple

?????how would you know? anytime you ever said either statement to me, was a lie. you dont get to have an opinion on this topic. fail.

This is too funny! :laugh:

Juliejustsaying

big difference in my mind. I love everyone to an extent...meaning even the homeless guy on the streetcorner would get my attention if he asked. If he needed something I would try to help...its the caregiver/nurse thing in me that I can't seem to curb. But I've only been IN LOVE twice in my lifetime and I didn't even think it was real...

That being said, nothing is stronger for me that the love I have for my children, not even being IN LOVE with my bf comes close to this...

Juliejustsaying

Also... people do use the expression "in love" for things other than romantic love.

People say they are "in love" with their newborns, "in love" with chocolate, or "in love" with a famous celebrity (whom they never met), but they really don't mean the romantic-type of "in love".

In for boning chocolate!!!

Justme030

Yes to me there is a difference between the two for sure. I love many people but I'm not in love with them. I am in love with my husband and my girls.

_SusieQ_

Definitely.

I love my husband.

I'm IN LOVE with my boyfriend...and half the girls on my FL

:bigsmile:

hehehe. I LOVE lamp. .

i found out with one of my exes that i only loved him; was not IN LOVE with him. that relationship? it took a one way ticket out of here.

i second the sentiment that LOVE = the wanting of happiness for someone; IN LOVE = wanting happiness for someone as a direct result of boinking. that *was* the sentiment, right?

Yes, boinking was definitely the sentiment I was getting at. :smooched:

_Waffle_

For example, I love my mom. I am NOT in love with my mom. Right?

Don't start talking about mothers. That's a touchy subject. Don't get me wrong. I love my mom. Nothing wrong with that. M-m-mother, what's the phrase? She isn't quite herself today. It's not like my mother is a maniac or raving thing. She just goes a little mad sometimes.