While “love” might mean one thing for you, for someone else it might mean something completely different. Gary Chapman understood this when he wrote the book The Five Love Languages. The book has been translated in over 49 languages and at last count, over 20 million copies have been sold.
Needless to say, the book explored an idea that people truly resonated with. The idea behind this bestseller is that people express and experience love in a multitude of ways.
Gary Chapman breaks it down into five different categories. Understanding the different ways that people express their love, also known as “love languages”, can significantly improve your connections with others, and your communication with your friends and family.
Here are the five love languages explained.
Gifts
Some people express their love by giving gifts. Whether gifting pottery, or inviting someone out to dinner, these kinds of people express and interpret love through giving and receiving gifts.
It’s less about the material value behind a gift, but rather the thought and effort behind selecting and presenting it. The right present for these kinds of people is incredibly meaningful and shows the person behind the gift genuinely appreciates the receiver.
Words of Affirmation
For some people there’s nothing more expressive than saying the way that you feel. From compliments to words of encouragement, people who consider words of affirmation as the ultimate love language are all about communication.
On the reverse side, although loving words can have an extreme impact for these people, so can negative ones. These are the kinds of people who will take hurtful words to heart and have a hard time letting it go.
Acts of Service
For people who believe the ultimate sign of compassion, love, and appreciation is doing good for others, they are referred to as acts of service lovers. For them, there’s nothing more romantic than someone doing them a favor, or helping them out. Forget romantic candlelit dinners or flowers, for these guys, the ultimate symbol of love is help and support.
Quality Time
People who consider quality time as their love language are the people who appreciate undivided attention and quality time together. From meaningful conversations, to simply experiencing the act of being together, quality time conveys the ultimate symbol of commitment and considering your partner a priority.
On the other hand, if these types of people don’t feel like they’re being prioritized by spending time with their partners, it’s only a matter of time until they feel unappreciated and unloved despite how much physical touch or gifts they may receive.
Physical Touch
Physical touch is all about tactile emotional expression. This doesn’t necessarily only refer to intimacy in the bedroom, but also the simple act of holding hands, or giving him a massage. Physical contact demonstrates a certain amount of security and closeness, making these individuals feel loved and connected. Also, they might need to consider having a brand new mattress like the Tempur-Pedic LuxeBreeze Firm Review in which they can enjoy their sleep together.
Understanding your love language, can help you understand your partners. It’s important to remember that not everyone only has one love language they adhere to. For some people it’s a hybrid of several that ultimately make up the way they love and like to be loved.