Chirky

I dont think there is a huge difference, although most people act like there is one.
I think you can have love for someone without wanting to be with them and share your life with them.
I believe being in love with someone is just a deeper expression of your love for them. It would signify wanting to spend and share your life with them.

I completely agree with Willow. Loving someone can mean a wide range of love, such as for your grandmother or for your pet. Being in love with someone is love on a more intimate level, like a boyfriend, husband, etc. All love can teach us things about one another and ourselves.

A) all inclusive love
B) romantic, relational, marriage type love

10 letters and a question mark

what do i win?

ha! ha! to steve.

not to confuse the issue, but, how do you know you aren't just in love with who YOU are when you are with the person, instead of really loving the person.....?

We probably all love ourself more if loving another person makes us better people, if even it really doesn't. We are egotistical humans, after all.

I think knowing if you truly love a person is when you accept them and all their flaws. Those flaws don't become bigger than the person.

This is good, good stuff.

And Leah, I think you brought up a great point: sometimes I think I like a person because I like ME more when I'm around him/her.

Also, Steve: answer the question and THEN we'll talk prizes. :)

ha after reading leahpeah I think need to ammend my answer because I guess you could be "in love" with yourself

I think you can only be in love with one person at a time, and that "in love" usually is romantic-type love. You can love a whole lot of people, including someone you're in love with.

And yes, I think that the one person can be yourself. But if you're in love with yourself, you're probably not in love with anyone else.

I'm with most everyone you. You can love most anything, where being in love is deeper and usually romantic. The kind of love where you get butterflies in your stomach. Becuase I have said in the past I'm "in love" with my son. Which hopefully doesn't sound sick, but sometimes I am so excited to see him.

love = you care a lot about what happens to someone.

in love = you can't imagine your life without that person. their less-than-stellar qualities are entirely eclipsed by their good ones.

Being in love with someone is mutual. You love and respect each other. It's give and take. You're in love WITH them, not AT them.

Loving someone is unconditional. Take my niece Mindy for example. I love her as though she is my own daughter. I never want to see harm come to her. I also don't believe a word that comes from her mouth unless someone else verifies what she says. I don't agree with most of the decisions she makes, but I still love her with my whole heart.

Hopefully, when you're in love with someone, you do love them unconditionally.

Okay, so I'm joining this late because I was on vacation. I agree with most everyone above, but there is one thing I disagree with. I don't think being in love is a mutual thing. I think it's definitely possible to be in love with someone who is not in love with you. Hopefully that never happens to me.