Love

[artisticeagle]

I have a question, and I don't know if there is a right answer, there are probably several. So please leave me any thoughts you happen to have.

What is the difference between loving someone and simply liking them because it feels good? ...And how can you tell which it is? 

Comments

[misshoneybee]

Good question, one I'm not sure I have an answer for. I've heard (and believe) that love is more a choice. Sometimes it might not feel all warm and wonderful, but you choose to love them, anyway.

[arcticfidelity]

Love is the delight and desire to fulfill and serve the needs of another person and the obligations that your relationship with that other person places upon you. As such, it is entirely unselfish and unfocused on any of your own feelings and/or appreciations. Liking someone occurs when that person in some way affects you in a pleasant way, or when you find someone to be pleasing in some way. As such, to like someone has everything to do with your own feelings and appreciations, and is entirely self-focused. In addition, as Melissa has mentioned, love, because of its nature, is entirely voluntary, whereas liking someone requires that they correspond to your own natural preferences, and if they do not conform, to like them would require a deep change in preference.

[numbugz]

Nice song for the occasion...

[narnian_warrior]

I don't guess I can add anything to that answer, basically the same thing.
I think that love is when you care more about them than yourself (and this can still be confusing, so I guess that needs clarified sometimes, too!!)
I suppose being willing, and WANTING TO, do anything for them, caring for them in a real way that not only is not centered on you (as articfidelity said), but also correcting when needed, etc. Those things aren't seen as loving nowadays, but it really is.

I guess doing the best for them, wanting to do the best for them, no matter how you feel at the time or, sometimes, how they feel about it.

That sounds really forceful. Oh well. I'm really not very ordered in my thoughts right now, please forgive me!