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TheHorribleBlob
TheHorribleBlob Posts: 84 Member
in Chit-Chat
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?
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  • goldenboy2532
    goldenboy2532 Posts: 856
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    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
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
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    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
    Kpablo Posts: 355 Member
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    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
    mank32 Posts: 1,323 Member
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    'love' = 'i want you to be happy'
    'in love' = 'i want you to be happy WITH ME' (doinking is usually involved here)

    simple
  • diodelcibo
    diodelcibo Posts: 2,564 Member
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    Lust.
  • wolverine66
    wolverine66 Posts: 3,779 Member
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    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
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,229 Member
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    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
    alisha_1983 Posts: 507 Member
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    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
    myofibril Posts: 4,500 Member
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    Loving someone: agape
    Being in love with someone: eros
  • Mother_Superior
    Mother_Superior Posts: 1,624 Member
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    Love is a ridiculously broad term.
    tumblr_m0dsmj5kQl1qcgem4o1_500.gif

    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
    EmilyOfTheSun Posts: 1,548 Member
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    I love a lot of my friends. I'm not in love with them.
  • Rosplosion
    Rosplosion Posts: 739 Member
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    When I hear the phrase "in love" I think, of fairy tale, hopelessly devoted to you type of wanna bone you thing.

    tumblr_m7tqdtoGId1qjrrmzo1_400_zpsb1e06eda.gif

    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
    1ConcreteGirl Posts: 3,677 Member
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    I dunno, are you in love with your mom?
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,229 Member
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    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
    MerdiJune Posts: 68
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    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
    Rosplosion Posts: 739 Member
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    I dunno, are you in love with your mom?

    I'm in love with YOUR mom.
  • bearkisses
    bearkisses Posts: 1,252 Member
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    i don't think there is a difference personally!
  • _SusieQ_
    _SusieQ_ Posts: 2,964 Member
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    Definitely.

    I love my husband.

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

    :bigsmile:
  • edge_dragoncaller
    edge_dragoncaller Posts: 826 Member
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    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
    Legs_McGee Posts: 845 Member
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    '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.

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