Five types of love

Valentine's is coming and it is the season for romance. Even with our masks on and face shields --nothing can stop love!

However there are many types of love. The ancient Greeks said there were eight types, which I will write about soon. Today I will give you five to ponder.

It's important because each of us gives and receives love differently.

1. Words of Affirmation - Most people like to hear “I love you” or other positive compliments from their partner. Terms of endearment are very important to many people. I also like to tell people "Good job", or "Keep up the good work", and "Thank you so much!"

2. Acts of Kindness - Doing nice things for others is called an “act of service.” Whether it’s running an errand, cleaning the house, or giving a back rub, it's doing things to help make the other person happy.

3. Gift Giving - Some people value giving and receiving gifts. This love language is different for each person. For example, a man might think about how much the vacation is costing but the woman might value getting flowers the same as the expensive trip.

4. Quality Time - Other people measure the quality of their love by how much time their significant other wants to spend with them. If they don’t get enough “together time,” they might feel unloved.

5. Physical Touch - Finally, some individuals associate love with physical touch. Anything from hand-holding to cuddling and intimacy count as “physical touch.”

By learning the love languages you can identify the way you give and want to receive love. Having different love languages can cause problems in your relationship.

For example, let’s say that you usually give love by saying “I love you”, but you personally want to receive gifts in order to feel loved. But your partner shows his/her love with acts of service, and he/she personally values quality time. These don’t match up.

However, you and your partner don’t need to value the same combinations of "love language" to stay together.

All you need to do is discuss it openly. Once you understand how you both want to give and receive, you will have a closer bond.

We’re all different – and that’s okay. The problems we have in relationships sometimes simply come from not understanding each other fully. Becoming better listeners will help us improve both our personal and business relationships.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Richard Baker

US citizen retired in the Philippines