For many, loving and liking are the same thing, but in different intensities. However, we must inform that it is not quite like that and the thing is much deeper than it seems. Understand better 12 differences between like and love and how to better understand how you feel about the other.

Liking is now, loving is forever

We begin our list of differences between like and love by talking about intentions and time When it comes to liking, there is a certain immediacy, although nothing too desperate. The present is the best time for this, and that's enough for now, without going any deeper.

Loving involves designing something more solid where the two of you can walk and fit together without bickering. It's not just about living in the moment, but also reaping what can come after and in the long term. You don't marry someone because you simply like them, but rather because you love them and want it to last.

To love is also to forgive

Not everyone is able to forgive because they don't have the right tools to do so. When we like someone and they hurt us it is common to feel hurt and seek distance from them. Not that forgiveness is difficult, but it hardly happens when we are at this stage of affection .

Loving, on the other hand, is an easier way to achieve forgiveness because he is willing to understand the situation. Of course, he who loves someone will not turn a blind eye to the other whenever he is the victim of some hurt. However, he has the wisdom to let go of the pain he feels and, if it is a viable path, return to the relationship with more wisdom.

Love is open to possibilities

Among the differences between liking and loving, it is clear how each one understands the contact they have with the other person. When we love someone, our disposition, energy and care find a single destination. This is not a prison, for the other becomes the home where we keep what is good and fix our faults.

The like appreciates having someone to be with, but also considers other possibilities. Since they don't have anything serious, they don't feel trapped into exploring other nuances that come their way. As for the open relationship, this is a topic that deserves more attention and cannot be seen superficially.

As love lines up, liking spreads

Loving someone means that nothing else will matter when you are together because the other is your world You are your own universe, and the rest of the world is just a dream.

In turn, liking can even embrace the other strong, but this lasts very little time and without a full flavor. While kissing, one still observes the surrounding environment without connecting completely. Basically, one does not connect completely to the one who is with him or her and to the moment they are living together.

Limitations

Before we go any further, we want to make it clear that we are not idealizing the perfect kind of relationship. Whether in liking and loving, everyone feels a fit with what they are willing to give. In their own way, they understand well what they can achieve in relation to the other's feelings and support.

Within liking there is a limited dedication because one does not expect so much from this contact Even if sleeping together is a good thing, the next day urgently needs to start with the commitments. Love is based on a surrender in which every moment counts and even small actions make a difference to the lovers .

The view on qualities is different

One of the most sensitive differences between liking and loving is about the view on qualities. The one who likes admires the other's qualities, but ends up caring about the defects, even if they are minor. On the other hand, the one who loves, besides appreciating the qualities, deals with the defects thanks to virtues such as:

1. patience

The tolerance that love brings ultimately helps in cultivating patience with the other person's walk. There is a clarity in seeing their true nature, but their flaws are not forced to be hidden. The act of tolerance allows arguments over nonsense not to arise and makes room for a conversation .

2. counseling and support

Besides tolerating, guiding the other becomes a mutual constant in the relationship because we want to see him/her grow. In conversation, a space is created to investigate each situation and adequately guide the other in his/her development.

The division in the differences between liking and loving

The act of loving someone is to see with equity the life, needs and dreams that they have together and individually. Thanks to this, the division of any element is better distributed according to the need and urgency of each one. To exemplify, think of the mother who allows her son to eat more so that he doesn't suffer from hunger.

The like is able to divide everything it owns, but ends up keeping the largest part almost always It's not about selfishness, but it needs more experience and sensibility to match and give what is needed.

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Certainties

When we love another person we are sure about what we say and feel towards them. It is saying an "I love you", but knowing exactly the motivations behind it and the next plans. Liking, on the other hand, carries some doubts and voids, so that there are many possibilities and open spaces for questioning.

Every touch is a chance to grow

Love involves living in the now, understanding and absorbing what has passed, and having plans for the future.

The value of disagreements

Any kind of relationship with the passage of time will experience its moments of crisis. As said lines above, as well as the flaws, those who like it will get very attached to these confrontations. However, those you love will positively use the fight you have had to their advantage since:

1. understand each other's faults

Once again tolerance gives rise to a neutral field where evaluation is present. It is an open moment for you to put things in order and restore unity. Here there is a willingness to listen, understand, and forgive if necessary and appropriate.

2. are friends

One of the most fascinating things about love is the willingness one has to be the other's best friend. In this way they can understand each other more easily and talk openly about anything.

The jumps over the roadblocks have different sizes

Another difference between liking and loving is the willingness to deal with the challenges of the relationship. For those who love, temptations, disagreements, crises, selfishness, and jealousy tend to be more keenly felt and repeated. Those who love know how to deal with this well, and no matter how difficult it may be, they always manage to come out of the situation well.

It is allowing the other to leave when it is necessary

To close the differences between liking and loving, the act of saying goodbye also differs between one and the other. Although it is not a bad thing, liking is more selfish, not accepting the other person's ending or need to go. This is the opposite of what happens in love because we want the other person to be happy, with us or not.

Messages to understand the difference

Understanding the difference between these two feelings is complicated, since love and liking are separated by a very fine line. However, messages on this subject can contribute to understanding these variations. These dissimilarities, simply and briefly, are as follows:

• To like is to want to be together, even without wanting to, and to love is to be together no matter the context;
• To like is self-centered and to love is to respect the other.

Read the messages and phrases for you to reflect more on the subject.

"The difference between 'liking,' 'being in love,' and 'loving' is the same difference between 'now,' 'for now,' and 'forever.'"-Unknown

"To love is very easy. We love even a breeze on our faces. To love is different. We love even when it rains, dancing wet" - Dani Leão

"For example, I love potato French fries, but if I have to, I'll know how to live without them. When you love, there's no way." - Bruno Noblet

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Read Also: Peace of mind: definition and how to achieve it?

After all, what are the differences between liking and loving?

Today's text carries some general impressions about the differences between like and love The best thermometer for this would be our own life together with our partner.

Still, the above text serves as a trigger to think about the way we have been conducting our relationships. Certainly the meaning of loving and being loved, liking and being reciprocated have taken on new contours by now. In relation to what is good, always return all that they have given you and keep giving you.

In order for you to better understand the differences between liking and loving, enroll in our online course on Clinical Psychoanalysis With our classes you will have the sensitivity to manage your own emotions with self-knowledge and confidence in any situation. Understand how Psychoanalysis reveals your potential and brings you closer to your life's achievements.