What is the difference between platonic love and real love?

Many of us get confused if our love for our friend is more than just friendship. We often fail to understand the difference between love and platonic love. We might consider love for our female friend as real love and if you confess it, you might end up losing a great friend.

So how exactly should you find the difference. Love is a feeling of attachment to a person. Love differs from person to person. Love for your parent is completely different from love for your siblings, which is completely different from love for your spouse and again different from love for your children. Yet, out of all types, the love you share with your spouse or partner is totally different because you not only feel affectionate towards them but are also sexually attracted. And there lies the main difference between love and platonic love. The love you share with your friends is platonic love where there is love but no sexual attraction.

Platonic love doesn’t include sexual feelings. So if you feel more than love towards your friend make sure that you are also sexually attracted before you conclude it as love. Because platonic love is purely spiritual with no other feelings involved.

How to deal with it?

· Consider your feelings

Recognise how you feel for them, is it just that you love their company and they make you laugh or do you think about them romantically. If you don’t have strong romantic feelings about your friend then it’s just platonic love, don’t misunderstand it for love.

· Understand how strong platonic love can be

Platonic love also creates a strong attachment between two people similar to love. But, there will be absolutely no romantic feelings. Your love can be intense and strong but no sexual attraction will be present.

· Don’t mistake platonic love for love

It is quite easy to create a misconception about love. It mostly depends upon whom you call your friend if you call acquaintance as your friend and someone you regularly talk as good friends then probably you might misunderstand best friend as love.
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How to build healthy personal boundaries and maintain them