7 Differences Between Love and Being In Love

What’s the difference between love and being in love? Which would you rather hear someone say to you: “I love you” or “I’m in love with you”? While most people don’t realize it, loving someone and being in love with them can actually mean two very different things, especially in the world of psychology. Being in love is often associated with the early stages of a romantic relationship when things are still new and exciting. On the other hand, love is something that tends to naturally develop over time when there is friendship, understanding, and acceptance from another person. Do you want to know more on how to differentiate the two? Are you unsure if you’re in love with someone or you just love them or vice versa? If so, this video is for you!

In our previous video, we also talked about the difference between love and lust. If you’re interested, here’s the link to the video: https://youtu.be/Hf08GRUtjRM

Writer: Chloe Avenasa
Script Editor: Morgan Franz
Script Manager: Kelly Soong
VO: Amanda Silvera
Music & Sound Design: Urban Goose Studios
Animator: Naphia
YouTube Manager: Cindy Cheong

Mikulincer, M., & Goodman, G. S. (Eds.). (2006). Dynamics of romantic love: Attachment, caregiving, and sex. Guilford Press.

Langeslag, S. J., Muris, P., & Franken, I. H. (2013). Measuring romantic love: psychometric properties of the infatuation and attachment scales. Journal of sex research, 50 (8), 739-747.

Aron, A., Fisher, H., Mashek, D. J., Strong, G., Li, H., & Brown, L. L. (2005). Reward, motivation, and emotion systems associated with early-stage intense romantic love. Journal of neurophysiology.

Hatfield, E. (2004). Passionate love, companionate love, and intimacy. In Intimacy (pp. 267-292). Springer, Boston, MA.

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