What is the Difference Between 'Liking' and 'Loving' Someone in a Sexual Relationship?

[Anonymous]

What Is Love?

This goes down to the very question of what is love? The dictionary defines it as "a deep romantic or sexual attachment to someone." and "an intense feeling of deep affection." but is this not what people feel from a mutual sexual attraction? Love nowadays seems to be an affect of hormones with a hint of preference. It is desire that finally conquers the whole. Some would leave a someone if they do not allow intercourse to occur within some amount of time because they cannot wait, yet they had before said they loved the person. Love seems like a word that is abused so much and so often that it is losing its meaning and its significance.

Why Is There An Age Limit For Marriage In Specific Countries?

High Schoolers below the age of 17 (who start claiming love because they finally have hormones acting haywire) say they love each other and they will fight who ever tries to disagree with them, but yet the law prohibits them from getting married, why? Is not their claim identical to that of a 25 year old? Why are laws like this enforced? Why do those under certain age limits and circumstances require parental consent? And doesn't this hold some significance in marriage all together? I mean if the teens are the same age or only a year or two apart what is the difference?

*Same age or one or two year gap

What Is Like?

This brings us to like. Many High Schoolers feel hesitant to call their relationships one of love, but instead refers to what they feel as liking each other. They do the same acts 25 year olds do within the relationship and are free to. But something with in them senses a difference that when asked they can’t explain. Is it a realization that their youth is a barrier or is it an awareness that a relationship with sex is just that.

The Mutual Burning Sexual Desire Between Them Is That Love?

The dopamine within those who are in a sexual relationship clouds worries (even if it is for a short while) replacing it with an intense passion, and they continue to supply each other with more when it runs low. That addiction or deep tie, is it love? Is the age difference why it is like, and are you really liking the person or the thrill, the satisfaction of builded up and reacquiring desires induced by hormones? Is this but the epitome of lust?

What Is The Line Between All Of These? When And How Is It Crossed?

So where is the line drawn between liking someone and loving someone? What is the line between a sexual connection that demands more and love? Can teenagers who just got introduced to a powerful hormone due to puberty really love or is it lust? Is this all just a way to satisfy a deeper desire within us, willing to dedicate time and effort to satisfy our needs? Our selfish and intense needs that without their would be no desire for more than a friendship?

Love - A deep romantic or sexual attachment to someone.

[kitty71]

Sex is just that sex a pure mere physical action between 2 people. Love can lead to sex but sex can't lead to love. My humble opinion.

[EpicDweeb]

I think love can lead to sex and sex can lead to "love." I'm basing this off what I see as the most common definition of love, that being that certain emotional state known as "being in love." There's a certain sense of infatuation that goes along with being in love with someone. As the whole thing is caused by hormones and our bodies produce many of those same hormones during sex I think it's reasonable to say sex can lead to love at least in the sense of love as a mental state.

[kitty71]

@EpicDweeb You are right about a thing " infatuation that goes along with being in love with someone" I think that is what im experiencing right now with a guy Im attracted to Even if we had never had sex with him or will never have sex

[EpicDweeb]

Yeah, I've realized I get infatuated all too easily in relationships. Realizing that has made me reset my whole system of attraction in terms of "how should I approach a relationship?"

I basically came to the conclusion that because I"m likely to be infatuated if I am a realtionship it's best to keep my distance and to approach the girl I may like as a friend. If it turns out that I like her as a person and that we work well together, then maybe I can let myself be more involved. But, if I just go straight for the relationship I'll become infatuated. I won't be able to see clearly if we can actually deal with each other's flaws, or if we work well together past the hormones. Infatuation makes it hard to think critically. If you're interested in the guy, try REALLY hard to think critically. Don't write off flaws as "oh that doesn't matter I can live with that." Try to think as critically as possible. It may help you snap out of it if you ARE infatuated.

[myTake Owner]

Simple, but it is all true. Thank you for commenting, I will remember this and definitely will keep this in mind each time I embark in a new relationship. The dating scene seems less confusing thanks to your comment, thanks, this is true. Very wise response.

[EpicDweeb]

Thanks, I sincerely hope it helps.

[jakeforfun]

Wow, what a question. I'm gonna tackle it like this:
One simple demonstration of LOVE, for me, is the realization that this once-stranger is family. Blood. But different than sibling, etc. For me, it's (LOVE) all wrapped-up into one ball - sex, friendship, simpatico, sacrifice, compromise, caring/nurturing, protecting/defending, et al. Yes, you care more for this person than yourself, in most ways, at least. And, you love them so much that if they ever "left" you, you'd let them go, with love, and support them in any way, even if it's goodbye.

[myTake Owner]

Nicely put, you covered a lot here, thanks for sharing this

[Halligan]

For myself, I’ve liked, I’ve lusted, but I’ve only truly loved one person.

When I liked someone, it was like I was settling for the idea of the relationship rather than actually being emotionally invested in the relationship itself. With lust, I was invested in the relationship, but I saw no flaws with the other person. Sex was a huge part... but when I came off the cloud, I crashed and burned and would realize how bad the relationship was.

With love, we never wanted to get involved romantically or sexually. It was too messy. We were just friends, but over time, we couldn’t stand being apart. Yes we have sex, but there are times we don’t have sex and we are just as happy. We consider eachother to be best friends. We accept eachother flaws and all.

[jakeforfun]

That's awesome. And probably quite rare. Great for you. I'm still "looking".

[Halligan]

@jakeforfun very rare. I didn’t think it existed before. We have an age difference, so we wouldn’t have worked before, sadly.

[EpicDweeb]

Love in the sense of being "in love" refers to a psychological state which largely disables the logic centers of the brain causing a specific kind of infatuation with a person. So then. "Love" is emotions.

Liking someone isn't based on emotions. If you like someone you usually think they're cool or interesting. In a way you have a certain sense of admiration and respect for someone you like.

Liking is an entirely separate thing from loving. Loving is not simply a more powerful form of liking.

You can love a person without liking them, and you can like a person without loving them. Love is based on emotions and on the heart. Like is based on respect and usually on the head. At the very least that's how I see it.

[TheRedLemon]

I was going to paste the entire rick roll lyrics text just because you asked "What is love?". But anyway, the difference between liking and loving is that you can like a friend, you can`t love a friend unless you`re either masochistic or they`re your bloody soul mate and you don`t give a fuck as long as you`re with them/around them.

[myTake Owner]

Romania, cool Thanks for commenting!

[TheRedLemon]

So then i assume this post was not a personal question whatsoever.

[myTake Owner]

Nah, I appreciate your response I have no clue of an answer for this Take I believe everyone is right here, I could just tell you were from somewhere other than America from your wording, I don't travel so it is amazing to hear someone from Romania's take on this, not much different from an American's but it is like receiving a letter from Japan it is just special in particular for some reason I can't explain as I can not explain love. It is a personal thing for sure, unique to everyone's individual perception regardless of country, sorry if I sounded rude that is the opposite of what I intended to convey. I'm genuinely sorry.

[TheRedLemon]

It`s allright, you weren`t rude. I myself also enkoy observing behaviour.

[Anonymous]

Love has nothing to do with sex. That crazy feeling you feel because of sexual stuff is lust. Sex can aid in becoming one with someone and this strengthening th bond you have with someone. But i do not think love has anything to do with sex.

Love is a deep emotional bond that requires work and care. It is an action, a series or actions that is selfless in nature. I love the biblical description of love.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

[0112358]

Love is something you know when you feel strongly. With experience you recognize the feelings growing earlier. It’s like a light that starts shining inside you and at first you think “what is this?” And then you realize it must be love.

I think teens do fall, deeply, in love. The reason they should often not get married is they are still going through a period of life where they are rapidly changing and so there’s a high chance they will be very different people 5 years later.

[Lionist]

Wow great questions.
Easy answer...
Liking someone is way different than loving someone.
Liking someone whom you are having sex with, is called infatuation.

Loving someone is unconditional, sex isn't the most important issue in a true loving relationship. Friendship, respect, understanding and most of all the willingness to be open mined and communicate in and on all topics. hope this helps.

[Anonymous]

Liking somebody is wanting to fuck them, kiss them, talk to them, spend time with them etc. Being in love with somebody is all of the above, but with a over 6 months of intense feelings and attachment, and it requires for you to completely know the person, when you are fascinated with their smile, walk or gestures more than boobs, dicks, faces, asses etc. And final category, loving somebody, is the deepest level of connection between two people, and it can happen only once in a lifetime.

[Ljd213]

I thought of it as

Liking: Putting a Dick into a Vagina, and both felt pleasurably good

Loving: Putting a Dick into a Vagina, but these 2 fucktards finally got it through their heart and brain that they romantically admire each other.

[Browneye57]

Love is about giving, not getting.
Like is about attraction. Love can't start 'till attraction does.

[Sabretooth]

love is a deep connection-it can go so deep as to create a psychic link-you won't know what's going on-but you'll know something is going on-or can easily figure out how they're feeling just by looking into their eyes

[taleswapper]

Simple rules of thumb? Love is when the other person's happiness and well-being is more important to you than your own.

[rockrewls]

How good the samiches are...

[Anonymous]

nice take!

[myTake Owner]

thank you