How do you know when it’s “Love”?

In My Humble Opinion
21

Well, how long do you think it’s gonna last? Do you hope it will last forever? Have you been together long enough to have reason to believe it might last forever? Do you think he/she is willing to work hard through difficult times (in the relationship, throughout life…)? Is he the type to get extremely mad/start yelling at the top of his lungs/punch walls? Do you find you don’t have to worry about finding things to talk about with him/her? Does he/she seem genuinely concerned about you? Interested in you? What does your family think of him?

And of course there are obvious considerations such as kids, religion, finances, all the basics, which a couple should definitely have a sit-down conversation about before they get married, IMHO.

Not that I’m gonna use any personal examples or anything…

22

Obviously I’m a “she”… screwed up a few of the he/she dealies in the last post.

So in case anyone noticed, I’m aware. :wink: Otherwise, ignore.

23

Nope.
Sorry.
Gonna hafta come after you with a red stick.
:wink:

24

Interesting. By all these criteria you’ve all listed, I can only come to the conclusion that I’ve never been in love.
:frowning:

Its a little weird accepting this. But thinking back, I don’t think I’ve ever been in love. Never found the perfect one.

But I suppose, when you’re in love, you’ll just know. Right?

25

Also, one does well to remember that being in love doesn’t always also mean that you are are with a true love. People have a remarkable abilty to pull the wool over their own eyes.

True love can happen more than once in some people’s lives. The perfect 20 something couple might find true divorce in their 30s and then another true love each in their 40s.

Many of the “evidences” of true love posted in the OP can also be felt by anxious, compulsive, delusional, or naive people.

Can’t live with out them? A centered person could.

Would go so far as to give up very important things for their happiness? Can also be said of unhealthy relationships.

Instead of simply trying to define what love is, sometimes it’s easier to describe what it isn’t. Or what it does, what affects it has. Note what one source (of debatable origin) has to say about love:

*Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in injurious things but rejoices with what is true and good. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails. *

As to knowing when you yourself truly are in love with someone, I would say it’s when you can calmly look at all their faults in full honesty, and decide that you can accept all those negatives because of the amazing positives you see in them. Unromantic? Not really. When the love is that deep, life itself is romantic.

(btw, romance doesn’t always mean swooning and breathlessness, though it should at times. Sometimes it’s the calm acceptance that life is beautiful.)