The Difference Between Love and Attraction
Love is a broad collection of behaviors and emotions characterized by intense intimacy, emotional passion, commitment, and reliance. It typically involves emotional love, care, closeness, protection, attraction, caring, confidence, trust, and happiness. Love can range in intensity from mildly nurturing to highly demanding, but it can shift easily over time and can be equally rewarding at both ends.
In general, people in relationships tend to share very similar emotional needs and ways of relating. When love becomes too much for one person, that person tends to withdraw and create distance or disconnection from others. On the other hand, when love and connection become too light, those in the relationship do not feel as emotionally connected as they once did. That said, it is possible to find a middle ground in this area. Sometimes partners can feel closer emotionally, yet remain in loving relationships, while other times they may drift away from one another without any noticeable changes.
Love is essentially building blocks for relationships. At the heart of all relationships are two people who have discovered a profound connection and need to spend the rest of their lives together. The key to any healthy relationship is always communication. Love takes time to grow and is never rushed. Couples who do not communicate are often doomed to a disastrous future because communication always leads to closeness. If love is not nurtured and taken care of, it is lost along the way.
Love allows us to feel a sense of complete and utter security. In fact, one of the most powerful feelings known to man is the sense of safety. We feel safe when we are loved. One of the best ways to give love is through affection. Sharing our feelings with another person brings us one step closer to bonding with that other person and helps us gain emotional security.
As mentioned, one of the key elements in any relationship is the intimacy. Having physical intimacy with another person gives us another reason to build relationships because it keeps us connected to that other person. The physical act of touching can create the need to form a bond, whether it is emotionally or physically. Intimacy then becomes an important ingredient in relationships for many people. Although some may use physical attraction to build relationships, most of us realize that love is much stronger than physical attraction.
To sum it up, love is the glue that binds all relationships. It is important to discover the emotion behind your feelings and to share that with the person you love. Without this understanding, you can easily confuse love for attraction and put yourself and your partner at risk. Always remember that true love stems from deep connections, not from sexual intimacy. So start now and you and your partner will be building that special bond.