[webmagine]

What's the difference between loving and being in love with someone?

I've tried googling, etc. but still confused and don't understand.

Would anyone like to explain

[mintcracker]

loving someone refers to any sort of love- love for your family, friends, as well as romantic etc

when you're in love with sb, it pertains only to romantic love.

[wicked_]

When you're in love you give the other person 110% of yourself whether you get anything back in return or not.

Loving someone is very vague...it can be a love for a best friend or your family.

[missxsmiles]

"I love you, but I'm not in love with you." That breakup line used to confuse me also. Here's how I take it as:

Our culture views love as being consumed in passion & romance, known as the Eros style of love. However, couples
can't be in Eros forever. Couples will eventually break out of that consumption. The passion & romance can still be
present, but it won't dictate their entire relationship. It is often accompanied by deep friendship, companionship, etc.

You know how you feel when you first start a relationship with a loved one? When they're all you can think about,
you want to be with them all the time, & you have trouble focusing your attention elsewhere? That's Eros. It won't last.

Nevertheless, because of the overwhelming cultural influence that love should entirely be about passion & romance, some
people believe that when they are no longer in Eros, they are no longer in love. Saying "I love you, but I'm not in love with you."
is like saying "I care about you and I enjoy your company, but my romance and passion for you have subsided."

[Samael]

This is stupid. >_> I mean, really? ugh. Love is love. If it was anything else, love wouldn't be love. 1=1. end of story. sheesh. people.

[ShadowMax76]

interesting answers so far.
o_O' besides the 1+1 one. lol.

_ there's the verb. :] 'loving' . yeah?? :D :D :D
then i think about how a person can crush on a person. not so much a verb, because all that's happening is in their head.

but eh. i try not to think too much about the modern metaphors... ["in love"] >_>' it's no worse or better than the days of Shakespeare.
i guess the closest literal meaning to 'in love' would be a marriage like relationship.
making 'loving someone' the act :D

[j'anne<3]

"I love you, but I'm not in love with you." That breakup line used to confuse me also. Here's how I take it as:

Our culture views love as being consumed in passion & romance, known as the Eros style of love. However, couples
can't be in Eros forever. Couples will eventually break out of that consumption. The passion & romance can still be
present, but it won't dictate their entire relationship. It is often accompanied by deep friendship, companionship, etc.

You know how you feel when you first start a relationship with a loved one? When they're all you can think about,
you want to be with them all the time, & you have trouble focusing your attention elsewhere? That's Eros. It won't last.

Nevertheless, because of the overwhelming cultural influence that love should entirely be about passion & romance, some
people believe that when they are no longer in Eros, they are no longer in love. Saying "I love you, but I'm not in love with you."
is like saying "I care about you and I enjoy your company, but my romance and passion for you have subsided."

i must sayy.. that response does make alot of sense.
i like

[jawa]

Loving someone is like a friend, and falling in love with someone is more romantic and sensual.

[cannotfindserver]

you can love someone without necessarily being in-love with him/her but you can't be in-love with a person without loving him/her.

love is broad. it could be filial, platonic, or romantic. the term in-love as i see it pertains to that "romantic feeling."

[Babycremepuff]

Being in love with someone is describing a state of being. The condition of being in love and what that makes you feel.
I think loving someone is active but the way people love another person and how a person feels loved by another person is all different thus, subjective.

[damyoungji]

Loving someone can have two meanings: The person you love does not return the same feelings, or the love you have is for someone who is a family member, friend, acquaintance, etc. In other words, the latter means that the love for the person is not the one you want to be with or something like that.

As for being in love with someone, that means the person you love loves you back in more than just a friendly way (like a partner).

[daulism]

"I love you, but I'm not in love with you." That breakup line used to confuse me also. Here's how I take it as:

Our culture views love as being consumed in passion & romance, known as the Eros style of love. However, couples
can't be in Eros forever. Couples will eventually break out of that consumption. The passion & romance can still be
present, but it won't dictate their entire relationship. It is often accompanied by deep friendship, companionship, etc.

You know how you feel when you first start a relationship with a loved one? When they're all you can think about,
you want to be with them all the time, & you have trouble focusing your attention elsewhere? That's Eros. It won't last.

Nevertheless, because of the overwhelming cultural influence that love should entirely be about passion & romance, some
people believe that when they are no longer in Eros, they are no longer in love. Saying "I love you, but I'm not in love with you."
is like saying "I care about you and I enjoy your company, but my romance and passion for you have subsided."

you tickle my fancy :3

[Mannosuke]

From a logical point of view, given x and y to be two different people, x loves y and x is loved by y are two different meanings.