How do people give and receive love?
The idea of a love language is that everyone has a preferred way of expressing and receiving love, and it falls into one of five categories, or “languages.” There are five love languages: acts of service, spending quality time, receiving gifts, physical touch and words of affirmation.
Acts of service: The love language of “acts of service” involves showing love through actions. An example of this could be cleaning, cooking, planning activities, taking care of you when you’re sick and buying groceries.
Spending quality time:The love language that emphasizes spending time with a significant other in a meaningful and interactive way. People who resonate with this love language feel most loved when they receive their partner’s undivided attention.
“I think spending quality time [is most important] because you can’t love someone if you don’t spend time with them and then spending time with them can lead to the other options,” said Blake Maclellan ‘27.
“My love language is spending quality time, but loyalty over love because you can say you love someone and still not be loyal,” said Miles Hendrych ‘27.
Receiving gifts: Many people enjoy receiving and giving gifts because it shows your care for one another, it is the emotional significance of receiving a gift, rather than the cost of the gift itself. It’s about the thought and effort that went into choosing the gift. Receiving a meaningful gift can create lasting memories.
Physical touch: The love language of physical touch means that someone primarily feels loved and connected through physical affection, such as hugs, holding hands, cuddling, etc. They feel most loved when physically interacting with their partner.
“My love language is physical touch because it shows you’re comfortable with a person and trust them,” said Ashley Pollard ‘26.
Words of affirmation: The love language of words of affirmation involves expressing affection through spoken words, praise and appreciation. People whose primary love language is words of affirmation feel most loved when they are told how much they are valued.
“My love language is words of affirmation because I tend to overthink, so when I hear good things it makes me believe them and I take it to heart,” said Aubrey Lobreau ‘27.
Many people perceive and receive love in different ways: “My love language is not disrespect and being mean to one another, I would say it’s jokes and laughter because it’s something you can connect with and create fun memories,” said Haeden Weber ‘27.
