You have probably been hurt many times that you do not want to believe in love anymore. With the rampant breakups and failed marriages around, it is not surprising that many are hesitant to commit to a serious relationship already.
If you are earnestly asking whether true love exists or not, just look around you carefully. Observe how moms selflessly devote themselves to their young ones. Surely, that is true love. Also, surely you know some friends who are willing to go out of their way just to help each other. That is true love as well.
There are different kinds of love, and how they keep people from falling apart proves that they are true. In the same way, true love is available in romance. There are still a lot of successful marriages and couples who have grown old together happily.
So how do you recognize true love? Does true love really exist? Is it a real thing? Here are some of the characteristics of genuine love to enlighten us:
1. Respect is evident.
You would know that the love between a couple is true if they have mutual respect. For instance, they regard their partners’ opinions and principles as good as theirs. They do not insist on their views and wants. Also, they honor the boundaries set by their partners
Also read: How to be Respectful in a Relationship: 15 Thoughtful Ways
2. Humility defeats pride.
True love is characterized by humility as well. It is evident when the two fight and both are willing to admit their mistakes and make the first move to reconcile.
Also read: How to be Humble in a Relationship: 14 Ways
3. Forgiveness is freely given.
Moreover, it is easy to forgive someone when there is genuine love. Those who truly love their partners release forgiveness without demanding some things first. Even before the other party asks for forgiveness, the one who got hurt has already given it.
Also read: How to Forgive Each Other in a Relationship: 12 Tips
4. Grace is not taken for granted.
With true love, there is always room for mistakes or improvement. For this reason, second chances are willingly given. However, it does not mean that the couple can take offenses lightly. Since they love and respect each other, they will do their best to prove that they are deserving of those second chances.
5. Kindness is a present element.
True love is also evident in how couples treat each other. Love is not rude, so you can quickly see how good couples deal with each other gently. Kindness is overflowing whether they are happy together or when they are having a bad day.
Also read: 16 Good Ways to be Kind in a Relationship
6. Trust is significantly valued.
In true love, there is no room for jealousy. True love chooses to trust fully. In return, the individuals who receive this kind of trust do not take it for granted. They will do their best to take care of that trust and prove they deserve it.
Also read: 8 Tips To Rebuild Trust in a Relationship
7. Patience is abundant.
One of the best traits that you can find in a relationship with true love is patience. Being patient with each other allows a couple to be more understanding and slower to anger. Moreover, this trait is essential in loving someone imperfect—and everyone is.
Also read: How to be More Patient in a Relationship: 14 Tips
8. Faithfulness is voluntary.
Where there is true love, infidelity has less power. You do not have to demand faithfulness from someone who genuinely loves you. People who truly love their partners will not do anything that can hurt their beloved. Temptations may surround them, but they will choose to avoid them rather than risk falling into them.
Also read: How to be Faithful in a Relationship: 12 Ways
9. Perseverance keeps it going.
True love makes a couple work hard to save and strengthen a relationship. Of course, all relationships go through challenges. However, only the couples who choose to fight for each other rather than fight each other survive in the end. It takes perseverance for love to last.
10. Effort is mutual.
When you sincerely love someone, you will exert much effort to make that person feel valued. Therefore, you would know that a relationship is built on true love if each half of the couple makes an effort to express affection and care for each other.
11. Honesty is not taken lightly.
True love does not only make fidelity doable. It also helps people stay honest and true to the ones they love. With genuine affection for each other, openness and transparency become natural in a relationship.
Also read: How to be Honest in a Relationship: 12 Ways
12. Acceptance is the key.
One of the best features of true love is being unconditional. Such kind of love will allow you to accept a person wholeheartedly, despite his/her flaws. True love does not choose its recipient based on appearance, social status, or any other human standards. It also understands the person’s imperfection.
13. Rebuke is appreciated.
Love does not tolerate what is wrong. Therefore, rebuke and correction exist in a relationship where love is true. When you love someone, you want him/her to stand by what is right. You are not only after your own improvement but also concerned for your partner’s growth. That is why you are not afraid to correct him/her, even if s/he gets mad at you.
14. Support for each other is constant.
True love does not make you envy nor compete with your partner for accomplishments. Instead, it makes you selflessly support each other’s dreams. At times when no one believes you, the person who truly loves you will remain as your no. 1 cheerleader.
15. Appreciation is treasured.
Another admirable characteristic that you can observe in couples with true love is the appreciation for each other. Loving partners are proud of their beloved, and they do not shy away from expressing praises for each other.
16. Commitment is a serious matter.
When you truly love your partner, committing yourself to that person is not a problem at all. It just comes naturally. You do not have to force someone to take care of you or stay faithful to your relationship if s/he really loves you.
17. Selflessness is one of its secrets.
Many factors make a relationship work, and one of the essential ones is selflessness. It simply means caring for someone without asking anything in return. When both partners give selflessly to each other—may it be time, effort, care, or resources—the relationship will be stronger.
18. Prayer envelopes it.
A relationship that puts God at its center is also built on true love. The couple understands that God is the author of love, so they surrender their relationship to Him, acknowledging that He can give them the wisdom to make their love last.
19. Love overcomes hate.
There are times couples fight or hurt each other. However, true love always wins. If a couple indeed love each other, they will choose to forgive instead of nurturing their hatred. All relationships go through misunderstandings at times. However, those with true love are the ones that remain.
It is a decision to stay.
True love is not a magic spell. It largely depends on the couple’s effort to cooperate and compromise with each other just to make their relationship work. Moreover, it does not make a relationship perfect. It only drives the partners to persevere and decide to work hard to be better for each other.
Therefore, if you want true love to exist, all you need is to find someone to make it real with. Be with the right person, and you will surely see that it really does exist.
Also read: Is True Love Worth Waiting For? 9 Reasons to Wait or Not to
