Have you ever tried to look for the difference between loving someone and being in love and ended up believing that everyone was just as confused as you are about it? Even bloggers writing and trying to explain the difference seem to contradict each other up to a point where you seem to believe that it is all a matter of perception. So how do you know the difference between loving someone and being in love with someone?
Summary Table
| Loving someone | Being in love |
| Should be the final evolution of all relationships | Is the exciting time that comes right after falling in love |
| Implies stability and it means putting the other person first | Is intense and it implies discovering each other in all sorts of situations |
Definitions
Loving someone is a concept difficult to define because each person experiences love differently. Some think that love means loyalty, others that it means taking care of the other person, or supporting, or sharing interests, likes and dislikes. However people may see it, one thing is for sure: loving someone is the extended manifestation of positive feelings toward another person. It implies putting the other person first, accepting situations one would not normally accept in the case of other people, trying hard to keep the other one pleased and satisfied over an extended period of time.
Loving someone can also be manifested from afar as long as all the feelings and intentions are directed toward making the other one happy. It can also mean not receiving anything in return and being satisfied with the thought that the object of affection receives all that he/she needs.
Being in love is an infatuation. The discovery of an individual that arouses interest on so many levels can create a state of euphoria. Being in love means having the other senses numbed and seeing the new found love in the best light. There is a constant need to consume the other one, to discover new levels on which you agree and to experience everything, as it all seems new when you do it as a couple for the first time.
Being in love means excitement and exhilaration. This is the more passionate part of the relationship, the one that follows the mysterious discovery, the thrilling chase and the incredible falling in love moment. Unfortunately, this “honeymoon” period does eventually come to an end when there is nothing else to discover together, or find out about each other, and once things settle down.
Loving someone vs Being in love
So what is the difference between loving someone and being in love?
More than a matter of perception, loving someone and being in love are two different phases of a relationship. Apart from falling in love and deciding to become a couple, being in love is the next fun stage. Everything is new and exciting and the partners need to discover each other in every aspect, which is always exciting.
Once the euphoria of the beginning of the relationship is over, comes the loving part, the next and final step, when all you have discovered in the previous phase tells you that this is the person you would like to spend your life with. Apart from the infatuation and the excitement of all that is new, loving someone implies stability, loyalty, respect, understanding, putting the other person first. It is a big commitment and the most important factor when deciding to form a family.
While there are people who love falling in love and being in love, there are also some people who cannot live with the disappointment of having lost the thrill of the new and cannot usually get a relationship to go past the being in love stage. After all, loving someone is steady while being in love is intense.
