What Does True Love Feel Like? 20 Feelings that Best Describe Love

It is the starring role in movies and the main character in books, but what does true love feel like in real life?

True love is a deep and passionate feeling of affection for another person. And what makes answering what does true love feel like so difficult to explain is that you don't know it until you've felt it. And sometimes even then you aren't sure.

I was 16 when I first fell in love. I was sure it was true love. It was strong and overwhelming and ruled most of my life. And although true love is not always healthy, often it is dysfunctional, what I felt then was not true love.

It was puppy love. It was my first love at a time in my life when I didn't know myself. I was blind to red flags and changed myself to make the relationship work. Although the feelings were so intense, true love comes with a level of respect, admiration, and honesty.

True love versus soulmates

True love is not the same thing as a soulmate. Soulmates are two people that are meant to be together beyond all reason. They fit together and are perfectly suited for one another. And not everyone believes in soulmates.

But true love is not a one and done thing. True love can happen more than once in your life. You are not meant to feel true love with one specific person, and if you don't find them, it won't work.

True love is about being there and being happy to be there. True love takes work and time and care. Soulmates are bound together by fate, unlike true love which is a lasting feeling that needs to be tended to and maintained.

What true love isn't

True love can be twisted and used as an excuse to stay with someone that isn't good for you.

True love is not to be confused with passion or attraction.

True love isn't blindly trusting someone or staying with someone that is harmful to your mentally, emotionally, or physically.

True love isn't changing your dreams, goals, or morals to please someone else.

True love isn't about obeying your partner.

True love isn't constant forgiveness or turning the other cheek.

What true love is

True love is not what you see as #relationshipgoals. It is a couple that has been together for 40+ years. They have gone through ups and downs and worked together to survive and be as happy as possible.

True love is a couple that faces homophobia everyday but leans on one another to make sure love wins.

True love is being happy to compromise because you made your partner happy.

True love is doing something for another person without expecting anything in return.

True love is support and respect through every struggle, up and down.

True love is a biracial couple making it work despite their ignorant extended families.

True love is honesty, forgiveness, trust, and openness.

But what does true love feel like?

What does true love feel like?

True love can feel like a lot of things. And unless you have felt it before these things may just seem like things to you. But when you are lucky enough to feel true love, you will understand each and every one of these feelings.

#1 Home. So what does true love feel like? True love feels like coming home after a long day of work, taking off your shoes, putting on sweatpants, and laying on the sofa. It is that release and comfort.

#2 Your favorite snack. Your favorite dessert, your favorite meal, that one you always go to no matter the time of day or mood you're in.

#3 Knowledge. True love feels like you are constantly learning. You are learning about your partner, about yourself, and about your world and what you want together out of life.

#4 Understanding. True love feels like knowing everything will work out. You know it won't be easy, and it will take time and effort, but you know you both understand where the other is coming from.

#5 Safety. There is a security with true love that nothing can compare. You feel safe in this person's presence; both emotionally and physically. You can even call them and just hearing their voice makes you less nervous.

#6 Compassion. Compassion is something we lack for so many others, but true love opens you up to it. You feel what your partner feels. You feel for them and they go through what you go through.

#7 Clean sheets. That feeling of crawling into a freshly washed set of sheets at night after a shower is what true love feels like.

#8 Honesty. True love feels like trust, just pure trust. You may wonder if they lied about taking out the trash, but you know when it matters they will tell you the truth.

#9 Caring. That care your best friend gives you, that care you mom gave when she brought you soup as a kid when you were sick, that care your grandma gave when she babysat, that care is what true love feels like.

You know it is rare and can't be replicated.

#10 Laughter. Not that polite or nervous laughter, that rolling on the floor, snorting, can't breathe laughter is what true love feels like. That pure joy and happiness to the point of all ridiculousness.

#11 Fear. The only fear you have is the fear of loss, but that is greatly outweighed by enjoying each and every moment with your true love.

#12 Supportive. Giving and receiving support for all your endeavors, from starting a family to getting a promotion, or launching your own company. True love comes with support for your individual and joint goals, but also a respect for independence.

#13 Rewarding. When your pet pees on the carpet, but then does the cutest thing and cuddles with you, you know that all the cleaning, lint rolling, and vet bills are so worth it. A relationship built on true love is full of those rewarding moments.

#14 Indescribable. I know I am sitting here literally describing what true love feels like with as many metaphors as I possibly can, but it really is indescribable.

#15 Connection. You know that feeling at the end of a first date when you think it went well and you got along and had chemistry? Well, the connection you get from true love is like that times a billion.

#16 Dedication. Commitment is a part of true love and knowing that you are dedicated to this person and this relationship and they are to you is like no other feeling in the world.

#17 Pride. Ego is not usually something that is super involved with true love, but confidence is. Although you shouldn't gain your confidence through your partner or the success of the relationship, knowing that you found this person and to feel the happiness you feel makes you proud. You deserve it.

#18 Luck. Although true love requires handwork and dedication and focus on your relationship, there is a constant feeling of being lucky. You might wonder what you did to deserve this person in your life. And although it is more about your working well together, that luck reminds you to experience and enjoy every moment and not take it for granted.

#19 Clarity. True love feels like you finally have someone that gets you. They see who you truly are and love it all, even the parts you may not love so much. True love feels like you don't have to explain yourself, but when you do they understand.

#20 Bliss. Yes, it is cheesy, but true love can feel like pure bliss. Sure, you share your ups and downs and every single moment isn't paradise, but the bliss you feel in certain moments will always outweigh any hiccups when it comes to true love.

What does true love feel like? Basically, it feels however you want it to feel. It feels how you've always wanted it to feel and always imagined it would, only better, much better.