If Someone Is Genuinely In Love With You, They'll Display These 4 Tender Behaviors On A Regular Basis
When love is real, it shines through in these four gentle ways.
Julia Malinowska | Canva When the stars align — or when a dating app works in your favor — a new person will enter your life, bringing on a whole new slew of ups and downs. While everyone expresses affection differently, genuine love tends to reveal itself through reliable patterns that make you feel respected and cherished.
Understanding these natural expressions of love can help you recognize when someone's feelings for you run deep and are genuine. More importantly, it can guide you toward relationships built on respect and authentic connection.
If someone is genuinely in love with you, they'll display these 4 behaviors on a regular basis:
1. They don't keep secrets
A couple in love has no walls, boundaries, or secrets. Period. Oftentimes, a couple in lust holds back their true self and keeps their "best self" permanently on display, rather than revealing their less-than-perfect self. Only through vulnerability can love reveal itself.
According to one study, vulnerability is the willingness to risk emotional openness with a partner. Sharing secrets is a core component of this process, building deeper emotional intimacy and strengthening bonds.
2. They treat the relationship like a friendship
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If your partner is also your best friend, you may be well on your way to loving your partner. A relationship built on a foundation without friendship has little to fall back on — and if that's the situation you're in, it's most likely lust.
A concept known as companionate love is considered a more stable basis for long-term satisfaction than the intense passion that often characterizes the early stages of a relationship. A 2017 study found that people who considered their spouse their best friend reported significantly higher levels of life satisfaction. The feeling of companionship adds a layer of voluntary, chosen commitment, strengthening the bond beyond a sense of obligation.
3. They deal with jealousy in a healthy way
A couple in love trusts one another, regardless of the situation or circumstance. A couple in lust who look only to intimacy often find reasons to be jealous of others' wandering eyes.
If you find yourself perpetually jealous or needy, or you're not sure exactly where you stand with your partner (are we in a relationship? casual? friends with benefits?), then it's likely you're in a lust relationship.
4. They love you because of your imperfections, not despite them
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Being in love means being accepting of every flaw, imperfection, and otherwise from your partner — and loving them because of their flaws, not despite them.
Those in lust, however, often expect their partner to look perfect, perform perfectly, and act perfectly around friends and family for the relationship to appear good. Perfection is never long-lasting and is often a facade.
Nichole Fratangelo is a freelance writer, copywriter, and former contributor to Latina.
