What does "I love you" mean to you?

[Legionaught]

This may seem kinda sappy but in this age of relatively shallow emotional depth the phrase "I love you" is used so often and with so little emotional commitment you'd think it's a cheap harlot...So i ask of you, when you say it, when you mean it, what does that phrase truly mean to you? someone inspire me <3

 

[FalloutJack]

I really think that having to ask means you should get out more, but sure. I have someone that I've said it to, so here's what I meant.

"I don't care what's right or wrong about you. You're the one I want to be with more than anybody and I won't abandon you for anyone else."

And I meant it.

 

[artanis_neravar]

This may seem kinda sappy but in this age of relatively shallow emotional depth the phrase "I love you" is used so often and with so little emotional commitment you'd think it's a cheap harlot...So i ask of you, when you say it, when you mean it, what does that phrase truly mean to you? someone inspire me <3

Interesting....interesting

When I tell a girl "I love you" I mean that I will always be there for her, no matter what she needs or when she needs it I will do everything within my power to help her with any problem she may have. I will always listen to what she has to say and consider her opinion as if it were another side of my own opinion. When I say "I love you" I mean that I can see the relationship going somewhere.

....wow I am kind of sappy, sorry if that didn't help

 

[Stasisesque]

Platonically - it means I could not imagine my life without the recipient of the phrase in it. They add some quality to my existence that, whether large or small, is irreplaceable.

Romantically - more than the above. I can't explain it.

 

[TheIronRuler]

This may seem kinda sappy but in this age of relatively shallow emotional depth the phrase "I love you" is used so often and with so little emotional commitment you'd think it's a cheap harlot...So i ask of you, when you say it, when you mean it, what does that phrase truly mean to you? someone inspire me <3

'I love you' became like the word 'nice'.
It's so jaded that it really did lose its meaning.
Actions tell more than mere words.
Therefore - prove you love your partner and do .... erm... whatever you do best.

 

[Legionaught]

This may seem kinda sappy but in this age of relatively shallow emotional depth the phrase "I love you" is used so often and with so little emotional commitment you'd think it's a cheap harlot...So i ask of you, when you say it, when you mean it, what does that phrase truly mean to you? someone inspire me <3

Interesting....interesting

When I tell a girl "I love you" I mean that I will always be there for her, no matter what she needs or when she needs it I will do everything within my power to help her with any problem she may have. I will always listen to what she has to say and consider her opinion as if it were another side of my own opinion. When I say "I love you" I mean that I can see the relationship going somewhere.

....wow I am kind of sappy, sorry if that didn't help

Lol, the thread isn't really about helping me though i appreciate your input. I have my own ideas about what it means and i was just interested in how others perceived an emotional statement like that because love is one of the most intricate emotional complexes that anyone can feel

Btw love to me is the desire to make someone feel that they are held to i higher standard than the general rabble; it's a genuine want to know them beyond how much they know themselves...that's just what i've felt...in terms of saying i love you to a significant other...

 

[arsenicCatnip]

When I say "I love you" to a close friend, it means that they are mega-important, and I feel very strong affection and adoration for them.

When I say it to my boyfriend, it means that and so much more. Translated, it's: "You mean the world to me. My life would thoroughly suck without you, and your smile brightens my every moment. Thank you for being here with me, and I want to spend the rest of my life by your side."

 

[Akytalusia]

when I say it? i thought you'd ask what i thought it meant when other people said it. now i'm on the spot...

i would honestly never tell anyone that to their face; they would get the wrong idea. i only say things like 'i love everyone/everything' and only in context. i only have platonic love, and not many people can understand that, so it's best just not to mention it to anyone.

 

[Icehearted]

Nothing. It doesn't exist in reality, and is a tool for manipulation either by the "giver" or the "recipient". Anyone that attempts to lay bullshit of this magnitude on me will find me suddenly quite absent and very difficult to reach.

 

[LiraelG]

Good question, and I agree completely that it's over-used. I find it extremely difficult to say 'I love you' to friends, some of whom sadly expect it.

I don't find it hard because of what it means, exactly, but the fact I have to have a deep emotional connection with someone to say it - the kind of connection you can only have with a partner.

So, when I say it, and mean it, it means... well, the phrase can't be defined entirely. But it does mean I'll be there whenever I'm needed; that I admire the person I say those words to; that I'd hate to live without the small quirks which make them unique.

 

[bdcjacko]

When I say it, I mean it. I don't like tossing around such loaded words causally. When I say something is epic, I mean it. When I say I love you, I mean it.