Since time immemorial, humans have waxed eloquent about the magic that love weaves into lives and unto souls. But as perplexing as the whole spectrum of human emotions is, it’s not surprising that love is rarely encountered and even more rarely understood in all of its essence. Because we view love as happiness, we tend to override the many other pursuits of life that might lead us into similar bliss. Whether it is mere attraction or intense liking or unwavering love, we never are sure of our own feelings. What we think of as love might very well be just a fleeting feeling of liking masquerading as something more enriching. So before you make the next move of proclaiming that you are indeed in love, it becomes essential to do some soul searching so that you do not end up with someone you just like or worse, are just attracted to. Here’s 30 differences between love and like that might be a deal breaker for you in living the (perfect) life less lived-
#1
Surce: independent
Obviously the most easily deciphered difference between love and like is the basis of your feelings. Liking someone most probably has you physically attracted while loving the person is being attracted to their soul.
#2
Source: cheatsheet
When you like someone, it’s most likely that the person is your source of happiness. When you love someone though, you would want to be their source of happiness. But it really does not matter to you whether or not you are the reason for their smile, as long as they are smiling at least.
#3
Source: couples
Liking someone is a beautiful experience, one that gives you butterflies and makes your heart go all flutters.
Loving someone is more liberating, it comes as a blessing that gives you the wings to fly.
#4
Source: psychologytoday
You probably like someone because you think they are perfect. Love however is more real. Because you know that the person you love is very much human and therefore imperfect like all others. But you still choose to be in love with them with all their flaws and failures.
#5
Source: nyu.edu
Naturally you cease to like someone when they reveal their flaws to you because you had been attracted only to how flawless they apparently had been as a person.
However because you fall in love with the person as a whole with all their imperfections clearly vivid you continue to love them all the more in all of their weird manifestations.
#6
Source:
Evening Standard
Liking someone is exhilarating. Loving is more peaceful. While an intense attraction can be your detour to adventure land, love has you more at peace by allowing you the comfort space that it is.
#7
Source: nypost
Like is the sway of their hair, the blush of their cheeks, the sheen of their eyes.
Love is the spark in their voice, the sound of their laughter and the dream in their eyes. In all its embrace, liking someone is merely physical appreciation, loving them is the appreciation of their being.
#8
Source: depositphotos
When you only just like someone, you want to them to be with you as per your own whims and fancies. But when you are loving someone, you want them to be however they need to be to live life to the fullest. You love them so much that you want them to be as they are, no matter wherever they are in this world.
#9
Source: huffingtonpost
You try to impress the one you like to win them over, to tag them as being your own.
Loving someone means you try to indeed be the best version of yourself to be worthy enough for them without losing your real self.
#10
Source: petapixel
You are proud to be seen with the gorgeous person you like like crazy, because it entitles you to a sense of achievement of ‘owning’ them.
You are proud of being with the amazing person you are so much in love with simply because they are them.
#11
Source: mirror
Liking someone is fleeting, loving them is forever.
#12
Source:
Junebug Weddings
You are done with liking someone when they have no more excitement on offer for you.
You are never done loving someone; even when you aren’t together, the affections still remain unperturbed.
#13
Source: theculturetrip
The person you like can be out of your mind as easily as they get out of your sight. Because that’s what liking someone is- fleeting.
The one you love truly will be on your mind transcending even all limitations of time and space.
#14
Source: today
Like is a very instinctive feeling of the emotions.
Love also starts out as something emotional, but as the feelings persist and progress with deeper and deeper intensity, loving someone begins to be more of a conscious decision, by choice rather than by obligation.
#15
Source: mirror
Liking someone tends to be more superficial. Loving someone is more real than it can get.
#16
Source: theweek
You accept the mistakes of the person you like because you don’t want to offend them.
You point out the faults of your lover and help them work upon all of these flaws because you genuinely want them to be the best they can be.
#17
Source: marriage
One ugly fight with the person you like and you are never on talking terms anymore. Either because it’s ego taking centerstage or because your attraction has waned off, you don’t have any incentive to make up and stay.
But even after multiple serious arguments you still want to be with the person you love because they are so essential to your being, more than even your ego and your righteousness.
#18
Source: womansday
Liking someone is the therapy to healing.
Loving someone is the healing in itself.
#19
You want the complete attention of the person you like because you are so dependent on them.
You shower your complete attention on the person you love because that’s all you want to do for them and also because there isn’t anyone else worthy of all your affection.
#20
Source: studyfinds
Even when it sounds baffling, love is far less romantic and more rooted in reality than the fantasies like dwells in. Because like is more about the attractions rather than the feels, it tends to be more dreamy and fancied, but less realistic.
#21
Source: apa
Liking someone has you in splits because it is something thrilling and too good to be true at the same time. Loving someone however is the most blissful of experiences that calms you down to the extent that you begin to live life in more contentment.
#22
Source: thecoupleconnection
Romantic intimacy vs emotional intimacy is one of the key differences between liking someone and loving them. Like we said before, because love dwells less in romance, you don’t decipher the kinda enchantment you associate with that thing called love. In all its divinity, loving someone is a far more intimate experience than anything else in the world.
#23
Source: crosswalk
You derive happiness in the company of the person you like but you find such comfort in the embrace of the one you love that you wouldn’t want to trade all the happiness of the world for this rare moment of secure, contented existence.
#24
Source: moneycrashers
If it’s not unconditional, it cannot be love. Naturally then, liking someone comes with terms and conditions applied while loving someone is less binding and therefore more rewarding. In fact love is so unconditional that the term ‘unconditional love’ is more of a farce. If something is conditional, then it’s definitely not love in all certainty.
#25
Source: webmd
You care for someone you like because it’s romantic enough to have them entranced. You are concerned for the person you end up loving not because you have to but because it’s the purest feeling that streams from within the deepest confines of your heart.
#26
Source: usatoday
Like is intense in the attractions, love is also intense but in the feels. Naturally then you hype it up when you start liking someone. On the other hand loving someone hypes you up to the extent that it has you floating on some kind of high, with all the freedom but minus the anxiety.
#27
Source: spsp
Liking someone can be more of an obsession that leaves you desiring for more and more of them till the point you leave them dry and withered.
Loving someone is nurturing and caressing them till they grow and continuing to lend them support and all the love in the world so that they grow even better.
#28
Source: thelist
Because liking someone has you experience a sudden surge in feelings it tends to overwhelm and even drain you out. But love is something very gradual that makes you realise and accept every transition of your emotions smoothly and so beautifully that it leaves you clearer and more aware of yourself. Loving someone assures you in a way just liking them never can.
#29
Source: forbes
Liking someone is like the rain, mystifying and breathtaking till a point after which it gets all dark and dreary. Love is more like the multiple hues of the rainbow or even the silver lining in the clouds and all that follows before and after it. Be it in acceptance or denial, love is colorful, maybe subtle but nevertheless myriad as life itself. Like might be so starkly eye catching, more luminous, but it’s never the same once the sheen starts to fade away and you are left with just the shade of boredom.
#30
Source: tufts.edu
When you like someone, you celebrate moments with them. Loving someone though has celebrating, or rather, living life with them in all its glory. Whether it be anniversaries or birthdays, dates or engagements, moments are really just lived once and savoured later. But living each day of your life with all the love in the world by your side is the ultimate fairytale that you get to see unfolding each day of your beautiful existence.
