Many people do not know it, but friendship is a type of love that occurs between two people and which can be confused with romantic love. Sometimes it can be difficult to differentiate friendship from true love, leading to some confusion.
It is therefore important to be clear at all times if what you feel towards another person is it true love or just friendship.
How to know how to differentiate friendship from love
When establishing a certain relationship with a person, It is essential to know if the love that exists is friendship or romantic. Here we give you a series of tips that will help you distinguish both concepts:
- In romantic relationships, both people express the love they feel in a physical way as is the case with hugs, caresses or kisses. If what exists between two people is friendship, it is rare that such expressions of love occur although there are always exceptions.
- Intimacy is a typical and quite frequent element in romantic love and that does not usually occur in friendship relationships. This intimacy is usually linked to the sexual aspect, although this is not always the case, as is the case with asexual people who do not show any interest in sex.
- Commitment is another of the elements present in a relationship. Both people demand a certain commitment when it comes to establishing a bond, leading to disappointment if this does not happen. When being part of a relationship, it is normal that both people are required to make certain sacrifices for the couple and thus maintain an affective bond between them. Commitment is rarely present in a friendly relationship.
- Pity and grief cannot be present in a love relationship. Being with a person out of pain and so that they do not feel alone, it cannot be love at any time. Love is much more than that and cannot be based at any time on pity and compassion.
- The emotions felt are another aspect that allows us to differentiate love from friendship. In the case of a love relationship, the emotions lived and felt are much more intense. The idea that the couple could break up can provoke feelings of all kinds in people such as sadness or depression. In the case of friendship, the emotions are much less intense and the end of it does not usually cause a personal drama. The end of a romantic relationship is not a dish of good taste for anyone and that few people want it to occur.
It is therefore important to know how to distinguish between what is a true love relationship and a simple friendship. Each one has its own characteristics that make it stand out clearly. Unfortunately, today there are still people who end up confusing both terms and get involved in a love relationship with another person, when what really exists is a friendship relationship.