7 Signs Your Partner Loves You
The celebrated poet Fernando Pessoa once said “What more do you want me to tell you other than that I love you, if that is what I want to say?” This is, without a doubt, a beautiful phrase. However, is saying I love you enough? Few emotional states are more beautiful than being in love and having that love returned. So, are words enough to prove that your love is reciprocated, or are there other signs your partner loves you back? In this article, we will try to offer some answers.
Signs Your Partner Loves you According to Gottman and Krauss
John Gottman is a reputable psychologist who specializes in couples therapy. According to him, your partner’s behavior will tell you how they really feel about you. For Gottman, behavioral signs and attitudes are the true key when it comes to love.
Psychologist Susan Krauss, using Gottman’s teachings for reference, has created a catalog of clues, or signs, that can help you determine if your partner really loves you. If you are trying to decide whether your partner really loves you or not, you should look for these signs. Do you believe you’ve found true love? Now you can identify how your partner truly feels about you using more definite indicators.
Clues that it is True Love
We begin by listing a series of clues you can use to know if your love is reciprocated. However, it is important to remember that love is based on pure emotion, feeling, sensation. . .and cannot always be measured, quantified, or studied.
They Want to Spend Time with You
An important clue as to whether you are loved is the attitude your partner has towards you. When they want to spend time alone with you, regardless of commitments that may complicate the situation, you have a sign of real love. Whether it be at work, out and about, or at home, this small sacrifice is a good indicator your love is reciprocated.
They Worry about You
Does your partner ask how your day went? Does he or she show a real interest in your problems? Do they like to know how things are going with work? Friends? Family? This is also love, because love is not only in the intangible and romantic, but in the practical and every day as well.
They Trust You
Every relationship is based on trust. Someone who loves you will offer you the benefit of the doubt. If your partner is honest with you, and isn’t suspicious of every step you take, it is a clear sign that they love you. According to Krauss, the more mistrust in a relationship, the less love.
They Offer to Help
We all need help sometimes. If, in these moments, your partner is willing it give you a hand, it signifies that they love us. It could be that you have to ask or that it happens naturally, but the fact that you have their help and they are willing to give us their time is a relationship test that offers clear proof of affection.
They Respect Your Opinions
While you and your partner should have shared interests, it is also possible to have individual interests. That being said, if he or she shows respect for your opinions and lifestyle choices, they are demonstrating great love. Disparaging the points of view of another person shows lack of respect and, more importantly, lack of thoughtfulness.
“To love is not only to want, it is, above all, to understand.”
-Francoise Sagan
They Include You in Their Decisions
Each time that your partner thinks of you and your needs before making a decision, they are showing true affection and caring for you. Although they will maintain a certain independence, there should be times when they choose to consult you before making a decision, especially if the result will affect you both.
Physical Displays of Affection
As we can see, love can be practical, not just romantic or poetic. What’s more, love should be physical. Hugs, touch, kisses. . .these small gestures, simple and sometimes almost imperceptible, are a great indicator of true love.
“With a kiss, you’ll know everything I’ve kept quiet.”
–Pablo Neruda
It is evident that, when our partner looks at us with affection, talks with us about major decisions, defends us, and makes us feel good, they are showing deep love. All of these practical tests listed above can make us happier, as they indicate if we are with the right person.