# How many persons would you say you love? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 17, 2010, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-persons-would-you-say-you-love/546980 "2010-07-17T01:17:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4da419/32.png) [@Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gala_Matrix_Fire)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-persons-would-you-say-you-love/546980/41 "2010-07-20T16:38:08Z")
Hard to know for sure, but I’ll say fewer than ten. Immediately family and a few very close friends. I’m not a very sentimental person. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-persons-would-you-say-you-love/546980/42 "2010-07-21T04:13:25Z")
I’d say…I don’t know, maybe around 30. My parents, brother, SIL, niece. My SIL’s mom and stepdad. My 2 grandparents, all of my aunts, uncles, cousins…erm, except 2 or 3. My two best friends, my roommate, probably about 5 other friends and their kids. One ex boyfriend. I’d say the ex boyfriend and the kids wouldn’t be too broken up if I died. The kids because they are too young to know my awesomeness. The ex isn’t aware of it either. Everyone else would be reciprocated. I really love money but I’d pay $100,000 to keep any of the above-mentioned alive. ---
**Author:** ![Containing\_Iron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/57b2e6/32.png) [@Containing\_Iron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Containing_Iron)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-persons-would-you-say-you-love/546980/43 "2010-07-21T07:05:41Z")
Upon seeing the thread title I said to myself 5: Girlfriend, both Parents, Brother, Best friend the next (previous?) step of affection would be “care a really big deal for” or something. Upon seeing your definition of love I agree with **Czarcasm** ---
**Author:** ![BigBertha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d78d45/32.png) [@BigBertha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigBertha)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-persons-would-you-say-you-love/546980/44 "2010-07-21T07:35:15Z")
2, and only 1 loves me back. ---
**Author:** ![Electric\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9de0a6/32.png) [@Electric\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electric_Sky)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-persons-would-you-say-you-love/546980/45 "2010-07-21T08:24:17Z")
Huh…by this definition, I love a lot more people than I would _say_ I love. I’d probably say that I care deeply for them, and that their deaths would wreck me, but love is a word that I’m careful with. I would also think that less people return the feeling than are deeply cared for. Not sure why, and it doesn’t upset me–it’s just a feeling I have. ---
**Author:** ![footballisplayedwithyourfeet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9f8e36/32.png) [@footballisplayedwithyourfeet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/footballisplayedwithyourfeet)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-persons-would-you-say-you-love/546980/46 "2010-07-21T09:29:16Z")
> [@Electric\_Sky](#): > > Huh…by this definition, I love a lot more people than I would _say_ I love. I’d probably say that I care deeply for them, and that their deaths would wreck me, but love is a word that I’m careful with. > > I would also think that less people return the feeling than are deeply cared for. Not sure why, and it doesn’t upset me–it’s just a feeling I have. This is what I was thinking. There is a lot of people I don’'t love, whose death would make the pleasure of 100000 US moot; especially with the current exchange rate:D ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2010, 8:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-persons-would-you-say-you-love/546980/47 "2010-07-23T08:31:08Z")
mmm, around 75 or so, I may have miscounted. I’d say it’s the same number back, maybe a little less. Let’s say 60? ---
**Author:** ![Wallenstein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b5a626/32.png) [@Wallenstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallenstein)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2010, 8:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-persons-would-you-say-you-love/546980/48 "2010-07-23T08:42:24Z")
Wife Daughter Mum Dad Brothers x 3 Plenty of others - wife’s family and my extended family, plus 1-2 close friends - who would fit the OP’s criteria, but it’s a different type of affection. ---
**Author:** ![BaconAndEggs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f4b2a3/32.png) [@BaconAndEggs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BaconAndEggs)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2010, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-persons-would-you-say-you-love/546980/49 "2010-07-23T14:35:56Z")
I love my cats and my SO. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2010, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-persons-would-you-say-you-love/546980/50 "2010-07-23T15:45:03Z")
> [@lavenderviolet](#): > > Two. My brother and my boyfriend. Used to be four, but my parents have both died. > (And I’m pretty sure those are also the same people who would also love me back). > Quality over quantity, I say. 4 if I count only those living, 7 if I count the deceased. I tend to count them, I didn’t stop loving them just because they died. ---
**Author:** ![stanger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ba0ec/32.png) [@stanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stanger)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2010, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-persons-would-you-say-you-love/546980/51 "2010-07-23T23:33:27Z")
One and one, both the same person. I have one really great friend of over 47 years now. If he were gone, I doubt I would be around much longer. If I were gone, he is the only person who would probably be deeply hurt and miss me. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-persons-would-you-say-you-love/546980.md?page=2)