You may have heard something about this topic before at church or among friends, but did you know that not all humans feel and experience love in the same way?
Gary Chapman wrote a book several years ago called The Five Love Languages and it has revolutionized the way people understand themselves and their relationships. To learn about your love language and to get the book, take the quiz here. There are even counseling resources, apology styles, and much more. But when you’ve finished, come back to this article to read about the ways you, and everyone else you know, experiences love differently:
Quality Time
Those who experience love through quality time need to have your full attention and time to engage in an activity. It doesn’t matter if it’s a long conversation or just setting aside some special time to be together.
Physical Touch
While often confused with intimacy, the love language physical touch is really more about the comfort that comes with actual, physical touch. Someone who feels love through physical touch might appreciate a kind word but would feel more loved with a hug from their significant other more.
Gifts
Although sometimes misunderstood as greedy, when someone feels loved when they receive gifts, it is more about the fact that their significant other took the time to think of them, versus the gift itself.
Words of Affirmation
While kindness matters in all relationships, someone who feels the love from words of affirmation places a great deal of emphasis on what is said and the way it is said to feel built up, encouraged, and loved.
Acts of Service
Acts of service can be small, like doing the dishes or making sure to lock the door, but they can also be big. When someone feels love through acts of service, they feel taken care of and important when you choose to spend your time serving them in some way.
