Loving someone vs being in love with them....

[NotTheGuy]

How would you define the difference?

[moosegal]

Loving someone is like loving a friend, sister, brother and parent. You love them, you don't want to see anything happen to them but you can see yourself someone else. Being in love with someone is a very intense love. You can't see them with another person and you ache at the thought of being without them.

[Andariel]

Being in love means that you find the other person sexually attractive, among other things. I have been in long term relationships and I can tell when the 'in love' phase is over and it is just love (the same sort of love you feel for your parents, friends, brother/sister) because I no longer feel like sleeping with them/ they no longer attract me sexually.Yes, I may love them for their personality, the way everything feels so easy around them, for the conversation etc but the thought of having sex with them doesn't cross my mind anymore.

[cupid_athena]

Loving someone means caring for them. Protecting them in anyway you can because it hurts you more when they're in pain. While being in love means - " can't live without that someone " . Respecting and trusting that someone like she/he is already a part of your being.
Being only sexually attracted to them is not being in love... that's what we call " IN LUST" because when you are in love, you can be the happiest man even just by holding his or her hand.

[Kyrina]

Loving someone= you want to help,consider their feelings,general love that is for a friend, relative.
Being IN Love= is putting that person before your own feelings, considering their thought's,protecting them, wanting to see them smile, laugh,just because it makes them happy and lightens your heart.They are paramount to you and nothing matters but them, everything you do from work and everyday life is to done with them in your heart and head, wanting that person to feel safe with your arms wrapped around them.Knowing you can trust that person to be completely faithful, finishing their sentences,even knowing what they will say before they say it, giving that person their space to do their own thing and still know you are there for them no matter what comes.Listening to them helping them find their way from a problem.

[muddblood]

WOW!!!!! This answers a lot of questions I have. One thing that is mentioned in this thread is the feeling of being in love with someone will fade over time. Is this the case? Does Being in love with someone "fade" over time? Is that the 7 year itch (well 10 year itch now so I've heard) we all hear about?

I really like Kyrina's answer - thank you very much!
So another question: How often do you think being in love with someone happens? I've only had this happen twice in my life, and just want to know if it's possible it can happen again. FYI, I am 36 yrs old and I am not in love with my wife of whom I've been with for 15+ years.

[Kyrina]

So another question: How often do you think being in love with someone happens? I've only had this happen twice in my life, and just want to know if it's possible it can happen again. FYI, I am 36 yrs old and I am not in love with my wife of whom I've been with for 15+ years.

You remain in love for has long as you both work at the relationship, love is a gift not a chore, when you think it as a chore then you lose.The same for love fading away its when you stop working at a relationship and take it for granted, the smallest thing you do for the one you love doesnt need a fanfare like my ex believes,sex is a benefit a pleasure for you both not the reason you marry or stay in a relationship but then im old fashioned and its something i believe.
How often does love come, very often its the honeymoon period of a relationship before everyday crap worms it way in,but if your in love you can face anything together even disease, illness etc,when your not in love then all this becomes an escape route to run and hide from.

[IndiReloaded]

Love means helping each other grow. Better together than apart. Creating something more than either of you alone. Nurturing each other to find the strength to face the dark spaces between our thoughts.

Love is not: sex, arguing, preventing growth of either person, destroying another. Its not eternal happiness either. You can't grow without shedding old scales from time to time.

[vashti]

I am 36 yrs old and I am not in love with my wife of whom I've been with for 15+ years. .

I thought you were female. (maybe you are?)

[Phoenix23]

Loving someone means caring for them. Protecting them in anyway you can because it hurts you more when they're in pain. While being in love means - " can't live without that someone " . Respecting and trusting that someone like she/he is already a part of your being.
Being only sexually attracted to them is not being in love... that's what we call " IN LUST" because when you are in love, you can be the happiest man even just by holding his or her hand.

I believe this is the most concise and accurate.

[Rollingwithlife]

vashti-

I think Kyrina was quoting muddblood in her post.

[Kyrina]

Oi vashti lol im female all 48DD of me lmao.

sorry i didnt use the quote gimmick i was tired so did the quick copy and paste. I know now why i dont let a one eyed nurse prick me with a needle

Has for being male that would save me a lot of heart ache and batteries

[vashti]

Oi vashti lol im female all 48DD of me lmao.

sorry i didnt use the quote gimmick i was tired so did the quick copy and paste. I know now why i dont let a one eyed nurse prick me with a needle

Has for being male that would save me a lot of heart ache and batteries

Using the "reply with quote" button is easier than copy and paste.

[muddblood]

I am not female.

[muddblood]

Has for being male that would save me a lot of heart ache and batteries

Men can have just as much heartache as women. As for the batteries thing - well, we do have other "toys" if you will that may or may not require batteries.