{"id":993900,"date":"2022-02-16T16:59:30","date_gmt":"2022-02-16T16:59:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/02\/16\/the-differences-between-i-love-you-and-im-in-love-with-you\/"},"modified":"2022-02-16T16:59:30","modified_gmt":"2022-02-16T16:59:30","slug":"the-differences-between-i-love-you-and-im-in-love-with-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/02\/16\/the-differences-between-i-love-you-and-im-in-love-with-you\/","title":{"rendered":"The differences between \u2018I love you\u2019 and \u2018I\u2019m in love with you\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\"My<\/div>\n

It\u2019s not just a matter of semantics. There\u2019s a big difference between understanding how to say \u201cI\u2019m in love with you\u201d and saying \u201cI love you.\u201d<\/p>\n

You could\u00a0say \u201cI love you\u201d to absolutely anyone. You can say it to your brother, your best friend, and your dog.\u00a0Loving someone is a great thing, but it is also not purely romantic like saying \u201cI\u2019m in love with you\u201d is.<\/p>\n

When you say \u201cI love you\u201d to your partner, you\u2019re letting them know you care about them a great deal, but it doesn\u2019t really convey the intensity of what being in love is all about. This is why saying \u201cI\u2019m in love with you\u201d is much harder than saying \u201cI love you.\u201d<\/p>\n

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  1. It\u2019s you at your most vulnerable<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Because these two phrases are so different, they have different effects on both you and your partner. If you tell your significant other that you\u2019re in love, it\u00a0puts you in a much more vulnerable position\u00a0than you were before. Whereas you could tell 20 people that you love them, you\u2019re telling your partner that they are your one and only.<\/p>\n

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    You\u2019re putting more of yourself on the line. That\u2019s also why when a person is on the receiving end of \u201cI\u2019m in love with you,\u201d it feels different and more powerful.<\/p>\n

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    1. You give the other person more power over your emotions<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Being in love with someone stirs certain feelings within you. It\u2019s the clich\u00e9 (but very real) sensation of butterflies. It\u2019s the romantic connection. It\u2019s the complete opening of your heart.<\/p>\n

      Naturally, letting someone know that they have such incredible access to you and your emotions gives them more power over you. Once you say it, you both know that. That\u2019s part of what makes it so hard to say in the first place, especially if you pride yourself on being an\u00a0independent\u00a0person.<\/p>\n

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      1. You leave yourself open to heartbreak<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Heartbreak can happen if a beloved friendship comes to a close. It can especially happen when someone close to you dies. But anyone who has been heartbroken by a lover knows that that particular brand of incredible pain can tear you apart, sometimes for years.<\/p>\n

        When you say that you\u2019re in love with someone, you leave yourself open to this possibility. Knowing that it can be extremely scary to utter those words. Even if you know you\u2019re in love, saying it out loud makes it even more real and even more frightening. You\u2019re taking a very high stake gamble here.<\/p>\n

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        1. You have to trust<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          Because you put yourself in the most vulnerable position when you know how to say \u201cI\u2019m in love with you\u201d and you tell someone, it leaves you no choice but to trust them. For many people,\u00a0learning to trust is a huge issue\u00a0because they\u2019ve been hurt or betrayed in the past. When you give your heart to a person, it\u2019s like taking a leap off a ledge and hoping there\u2019s a giant net at the bottom.<\/p>\n

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          1. You have to confront your fears<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            If you\u2019ve been in love before, saying you\u2019re in love with a new person can no doubt bring up old feelings. Whenever someone you love hurts you, it leaves you with a kind of trauma that you will never forget. When a new person comes along, those experiences are right in the forefront of your mind, warning you to be cautious.<\/p>\n

            You can keep yourself somewhat reserved while dating, but when you decide to say \u201cI\u2019m in love with you,\u201d you throw caution to the wind. It forces you to confront those bad feelings from your past, all the while hoping that this time things will be different.<\/p>\n

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            1. You completely dedicate yourself to your partner<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

              When you say you\u2019re in\u00a0love\u00a0with someone, you\u2019ve put all your chips on the table. You\u2019ve shown them your hand and you have to hope for the best. You show the person (and are forced to acknowledge yourself) that you are completely devoted to them. There is no taking that back.<\/p>\n

              A man named Benedict Smith once wrote,\u00a0\u201cI asked her if she believed in love, and she smiled and said it was her most elaborate method of self-harm.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

              Being in love is both scary and wonderful, terrible and rewarding. But no matter how terrifying it can be and no matter how much you might get hurt, when you find the right person,\u00a0\u201cI\u2019m in love with you\u201d is worth saying.<\/p>\n

              You can\u2019t guard yourself forever, and if you do, you close yourself off to an entire world. It may be one of the hardest things you\u2019ll do, but that\u2019s what makes it so meaningful.<\/p>\n

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