# To how many people can you comfortably say "I love you"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 4, 2006, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-how-many-people-can-you-comfortably-say-i-love-you/367351 "2006-08-04T17:06:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![newcrasher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b3f665/32.png) [@newcrasher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newcrasher)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-how-many-people-can-you-comfortably-say-i-love-you/367351/1 "2006-08-04T17:06:09Z")
How many people in your life can you say the 3 magic words to? Do you wish it were more? Me… My wife, my 2 kids, my mom, one aunt, my (recently deceased) grandfather, my grandmother, my SIL/best friend, a few other very close friends…that is about it… People I should be able to say it to, but cannot for whatever reason…my dad, my brother… How about you? And what would it take to make this numer larger? Are there those you wish you could say it to? ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-how-many-people-can-you-comfortably-say-i-love-you/367351/2 "2006-08-04T17:14:31Z")
> [@newcrasher](#): > > How many people in your life can you say the 3 magic words to? Do you wish it were more? > > Me… > > My wife, my 2 kids, my mom, one aunt, my (recently deceased) grandfather, my grandmother, my SIL/best friend, a few other very close friends…that is about it… > > People I should be able to say it to, but cannot for whatever reason…my dad, my brother… > > How about you? And what would it take to make this numer larger? Are there those you wish you could say it to? My son, brother and his wife,my 2 cousins, my bank manager 😉 the pub landlord. the chef at the local Indian curry Restaurant, my bestest pal in the whole world…Colin!! you rock man. My wife died some while ago and both parents are deceased but by God I still love them ---
**Author:** ![Pixisis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@Pixisis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pixisis)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-how-many-people-can-you-comfortably-say-i-love-you/367351/3 "2006-08-04T17:23:04Z")
While I am a little uncomfortable saying it to my brother, I do. I must admit, though, that he usually starts … I have a lot of friends that I am comfortable saying it to. ---
**Author:** ![Cyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e4f/32.png) [@Cyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyn)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-how-many-people-can-you-comfortably-say-i-love-you/367351/4 "2006-08-04T17:31:12Z")
Lots of people because I love lots of people. Almost all my co-workers, most all my family; husband, kids, sibs, parents. If I do love them, I can say so. If they just happen to be related to me, not so much. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-how-many-people-can-you-comfortably-say-i-love-you/367351/5 "2006-08-04T17:33:08Z")
My SO. My aunts & cousin. My best friend. Er…that’s it. My grandparents are all dead. I have no children. I have no siblings. I don’t love my parents; that’s OK, they don’t love me either. (At least we’re friends now.) Now, I sign many of my letters ‘love’ and do indeed, feel a good deal of affection for many of my friends, to come right out and say it is rare for me. But I do say it to my SO lots. **What would it take to make the number larger?** I would have to want to, or feel the need. I don’t really feel the need to. \*\* Are there others you wish you could say it to?\*\* I certainly wish I had a loving relationship with a mother, but not my mom. I wish I had a sibling, but a bit late now. 😃 And I desperately wish I could have met my maternal grandfather…they say I take after him more than any of the grandchildren. ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-how-many-people-can-you-comfortably-say-i-love-you/367351/6 "2006-08-04T17:34:32Z")
Everyone! In all seriousness: my parents, sibling, and relatives, and my friends (in a joking way, not in a serious way, like that little blond kid on _Animaniacs_: “ok I love ya bye bye!”). Anybody else just feels odd. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-how-many-people-can-you-comfortably-say-i-love-you/367351/7 "2006-08-04T18:22:34Z")
Seriously initiating “I love you” Mom Pop brother (just started in June when he had the heart attack–he said “I love you Gwen, you’re a nice person” as I left; then there was a 30-40% chance those would have been his last words to me :: tear :: but he’s made it so far!) Responding “I love you too” Two friends Casual “love ya” Maybe three friends, including the two above ---
**Author:** ![Licentious\_Ectomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/5e9695/32.png) [@Licentious\_Ectomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Licentious_Ectomorph)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-how-many-people-can-you-comfortably-say-i-love-you/367351/8 "2006-08-04T18:23:59Z")
I’ve never seen _Animaniacs_ but that sounds pretty close to the way I say it to my friends – usually after a sarcastic or teasing remark on my part, followed quickly by “loveyameanit.” Only I _do_ mean it, and that’s my way of saying it. I say it to my SO several times a day without the “cover” of jocularity. No fear of naked emotion there. I suppose I should say it to my parents; Og knows they’ve been good to me, especially the past couple of years. Somehow I just can’t, though, and probably never will. Fortunately they’re not demonstrative people and don’t feel the need for that kind of thing. To them, saying it is much less important than demonstrating it. I’m sure they know. It gives me the heebie-jeebies when my SO’s parents say it to me. They are a _very_ close, affectionate, and demonstrative family, and I’m not comfortable with being put on the spot like that. Oh well, if that’s the worst thing I have to complain about, I’m pretty lucky – and I do know it. ---
**Author:** ![psycat90](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@psycat90](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psycat90)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-how-many-people-can-you-comfortably-say-i-love-you/367351/9 "2006-08-04T18:40:04Z")
My 2 sons and my husband. I suppose I could say it to my sisters, and every now and then I do, but it’s rare. There is no one else I feel the need to say this to. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-how-many-people-can-you-comfortably-say-i-love-you/367351/10 "2006-08-04T20:11:36Z")
The number is geometrically proportional to the number of drinks I’ve had. ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-how-many-people-can-you-comfortably-say-i-love-you/367351/11 "2006-08-04T21:08:35Z")
My wife and my 2 daughters. Never said it to my siblings (or their kids) or to my parents, nor have any of them ever said it to me. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-how-many-people-can-you-comfortably-say-i-love-you/367351/12 "2006-08-04T21:12:48Z")
-The cute chic at work who is not interested, oh not all, in me. -Will Wright. Yeah, that’s about it. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-how-many-people-can-you-comfortably-say-i-love-you/367351/13 "2006-08-04T21:14:20Z")
Or, what I meant to say: not AT all. In me. The chick. Interested. Damned typing fingers. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-how-many-people-can-you-comfortably-say-i-love-you/367351/14 "2006-08-04T21:19:39Z")
Comfortable saying it and meaning it? No one.