This would be in the context of a romantic relationship/partnership. My overarching view of this is that I feel like in our times and culture those words have become very cheap. Seeing people treat each other like total garbage and try to put a band-aid on things by saying the magic words. Can love not be expressed by your actions, your nature, and your respect towards another person? I know when someone loves me, they don’t have to tell me also.
I hate the love languages stuff. Not bc it’s not true that ppl have different wants, but that shit changes by the hour.
It’s just a person’s tendency, not an ironclad rule
I might just be speaking for myself, but I don’t think my love language has changed significantly in the last decade.
People express love in a certain way and interpret certain things from others as love, and they’re not always the same.
Like I give love through “acts of service” and “quality time” but I don’t really think a physical gift expresses my love. But oh my god if someone gives me a little gift, like an origami heart or some shit I will treasure that for the rest of the relationship.
I never thought much about gifts. They’re nice, but I usually just want to spend time with someone, not receive a toy
But I learned over time that those people give gifts because that’s what they would desire someone do for them. So it’s not about how the gift makes me feel, but what they wanted to express. Basically “it’s the thought that counts.” And in turn, if I want to express my love for them, a gift might be the right move even if it’s not my first choice.
Some of my loved ones bring a small gift (even just a bag of candy) on every single occasion.