A question!

@helpfulAvocado5122

Howdy!

My answer will of course reflect my perspective, which comes from a rabbi who lived in the past century. He spoke of the different between love and lust, and I'll answer from that direction. He taught that lust TAKES, while love GIVES. If someone says he loves fish (meaning he loves eating fish) he really loves himself (did he ask the fish if it wanted to be eaten?). That's lust, not love. Love is when you're more worried about the other than yourself. Do you love your dog? Well, do you walk it when it's raining, even if you aren't in the mood, because your dog is counting on you and you want it to be happy? That's love. So true love, would (in my mind) be defined as love motivated (as much as possible I guess?) by the thought of trying to provide the one you love with their needs without thinking of yourself or what you get out of it. Makes sense?

@helpfulAvocado5122 could I say personally?

It's very personal. In my own experience, true love is when you feel for someone something that is beyond anything in the world. A wish of being around the person, to protect, to stay in the good and bad times, to be happy for their happiness, to be at any moment, no matter what happens and what is happening with you.

It's to put your own needs at second and to be able to learn and change for the best of this person.

Of course, it depends on the situation and some things have limits.

But love is that. Donating a part of yourself in the benefit of the other and being complete with that.

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But you have to keep taking care of your self, your spirit, heart and mind. We tend to forget that.

@helpfulAvocado5122 unconditionally loving someone and offering yourself without expecting anything in return. That would be true platonic love.

True romantic love would be having a deep attraction to a person , based on their intrinsic qualities. Some would say looks shouldn't be a factor in that but it's debatable. I feel possessiveness can be an expression of love but it's not a suitable benchmark of love.