posted November 21, 2010 11:20 PM            

Steps:

1-Starts as blind attraction

2-Lust, sexual impulse...

3-Seeing yourself through the other

4-Merry feelings at initial commitment

5-Doubt, suspition, insecurity

6-Delusion by one's own expectations

7-Desappointment at the partners flaws

8-Betrail, grief, separation

9-Time for evaluation/ keep it real

10-Acceptence/acknowledgement of the other person,how they really are!

11- Sacrifice, faith, conquest

12- Peace,true commitment for knowing who they are and what they mean to eachother.Unconditional...

I belive That for one to Love one has to go through all this. Love is not only seen by rose colored glasses! There's many faces to it, that includes a dark side: obsession, jealousy, selfishness,hurt,etc... How many times do we realize what we had after we lost it?

We are all human and even if it isn't nice one must acknowledge it for what it is...
And it's no less for that!

KEEP IT REAL!

posted November 22, 2010 08:11 AM            

I agree with all those who have said that love is different for everyone who experiences it. It's amazing how contrasting all the answers have been!

Here's what I believe-
I don't think love needs to be reciprocated for it to be true love, because it is an emotion, or mix of emotions, and something you can only feel for yourself. You don't need another person to enable you to be truly angry, or sad, or happy, and although love is arguably a more complex emotion, and believe it can stand alone as something you can experience without having it reciprocated.

I don't believe true love is like a light switch- either on or off- but more like a spectrum of different colours.

True love is... unselfish I think (given this one a little mull over!) precisely because your love for another human being doesn't depend on them loving you back. In this sense, as someone mentioned, parental love comes closest because it is unconditional.

True love in a romantic sense is more interesting... you can love people unconditionally and unrequitedly... and it sometimes follows the old adage of 'if you love someone, you let them go' buuuut, I think most people who love someone, ideally would want something in return: the other person's love. This is probably why it always seems more romantic when we love someone who doesn't return our feelings, because we love them and get nothing in return. However haha, I suppose this, perversely, is in fact selfish, because we are indulging our feelings.

I'm confusing myself a bit now

I suppose true love is about loving as a whole, 100%. When you love someone completely... their mannerisms, their voice, their brain, their face, their expressions, their actions. This doesn't mean blinding yourself to their faults... it is being fully aware of their faults, their good and bad parts, and not loving them because of or despite of them... but just knowing them and loving them because of who they are.
And secondly, a think in a way, it's like recognising a part of yourself... not that the person should be exactly like you.. more that, you look into their eyes and see something, you know? And you feel linked.