text: how does one explain love in words? i was asked a question the other day that got me thinking. a guy friend of mine asked me how do you know you truly love someone. i gave him the reasons i thought were right to me and he said i was wrong.   so i am interested in hearing from other individuals, how do you know you are truly in love and what constitutes love? now there is a difference between infatuation and love. i think we all know this.  it sounds like a dumb question but i felt as if i got a dumb response to his question for me. well, there have been many times when i thought i was in love. i realize now that those times were more about infatuation or courtship that was all about what we could get from each other.   i'm with someone now who i feel completely different about. we communicate well, which i think is key in a successful relationship. we are able to talk about difficult subjects without embarrasment or hard feelings. we have many things in common, but also have separate interests. we are very honest with each other and don't keep things from each other that might be im[portant to the other person.   all these things are important if a relationship is going to last, but you can have a relationship that has all these things without being in love.   i think i am in love now. my siginifigant other makes me feel important, but also makes me feel like i'm able to care for him and be cared for. we are considerate of each other without having to ask. we are able to read each other very well, and are friends before we are lovers. being lovers is really just a perk. a very good perk.   the most important thing, i think, of how to tell you are in love is if you really care abouit the person's well-being- if you do things and help them achieve their goals with no thought to how it will benefit yourself and if they do the same for you.